


Red is a Pretty Color

by Aqua_Lilly



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 14:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10538757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aqua_Lilly/pseuds/Aqua_Lilly
Summary: Mai Yume is from our world. Just by that one sentence, you know where this story is going. Follow Mai as she follows Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and the perverted doctor on their adventures. The romance will start out a little slow, but once the ball is rolling you'll love it. Read and enjoy!





	1. It All Started On a Saturday...

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

It all started on a Saturday...

* * *

 

I was at my neighborhood's local fair when I passed by a booth that was being manned by a young boy no older than at least twelve.

"TRY YOUR LUCK AND SEE IF YOU CAN WIN! Hey, miss! Why don't you give it a try!" I turned to the boy. He had short light blue hair and silver eyes. He wore a black tank top and grey cargo pants. I couldn't see his shoes due to the cheap black sheet that covered the table.

"Who me?" I asked.

"Yes, you! If you win you get an awesome prize that will change your life forever. All you have to do is a simple task." He said with a smile.

_Well... there's no harm in trying it out._

"Okay, I'll give it a shot, but I have to warn you, I'm not very good at these kinds of things. I always lose..." I gave the boy a dejected look, but it didn't seem to deter his cheery mood.

"Don't worry about it, I have a feeling you'll win for sure.~" there was a flash of mischief in his eyes but it was gone as soon as it as it came, "So, are you ready to and win!?"

"Yep, let's get this over with."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out one of those pendulum thingies you use in scrying. It was a light blue crystal connected to a silver chain. It was quite pretty if I do say so myself.

"Okay, this is a fate based challenge. It only works if you are fated to win the prize." He said giving me the most serious look I've seen on him.

"Eh..." I gave him a blank look. _Me winning this challenge is based on if I am fated to win... What a load of horse hockey!_ "You're kidding me right?"

"Dead serious." Still giving me a serious look. He didn't seem to be lying and my guts telling me to trust this guy and my guts never wrong so...

I sighed, "Fine, get on with it."

He took my hand, facing it palm up, and hung the scrying stone above it. All of a sudden, the stone began to sway and glow light blue. The boy's eyes lite up with excitement.

"YATTA! It worked! Guess what miss!? You win! Congratulations!" He said with a beaming smile.

"Eh... That's it?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yep, expect your prize to be delivered by tomorrow morning, Mai!"

"Wait, how did you know my name!?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Sora." _He ignored me!_ "I hope we get to see each other again soon. It was nice meeting you!" As soon as he finished speaking, there was a big gust of the wind that blew my short bright red hair into my face, temporarily blinding me. When I looked back at where the boy (or Sora as he introduced himself) had been, he along with his booth were no longer there.

"EH! WHERE DID HE GO!?" I shouted.

* * *

That night, as I laid down in bed, I contemplated what Sora said.

_What was my prize anyway?_

Before I could think any further on the subject, I fell asleep. Not knowing how hectic my life would become.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter!
> 
> See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	2. What the Heck is the Hunter Exam?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

_Ring!_

I jolted from my sleep by a sharp ringing. I looked around and saw that I was standing amongst a crowd of people all armed with weapons and the sort.

_Where the frack am I!? Am I still dreaming? No... that isn't possible... I'm never aware that I'm dreaming when I'm asleep... It was probably that boy Sora. He did say I would get a prize that would change my life forever. I'll think about this later. Right now, I need to focus on my surroundings._

The wall on the other side of the room began to rise. Behind it stood a man with pale skin, lavender hair, and dark purple suit with a red tie, But what drew my attention the most was the fact that he had _NO MOUTH!_

No Mouth Man then began to speak (which I don't how he did with no mouth), "I apologize for the wait. The entry period Hunter applicants have ended. The Hunter Exam will now begin!" the people around me began to sport grins and had a glint of excitement in their eyes.

_What the heck is the 'Hunter Exam'? Is it some sort of written exam!?_

"A final caution. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risk, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you." he advised. Everyone, including myself, looked towards the back of the room and looked at what I suppose is the elevator.

A drop of sweat fell down my face. _Guess that throws out the possibility of this being a written exam..._

When no one made towards the elevator, he began to speak again, "Very well. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One." he turned around and began walking in long strides. I followed along with everyone else.

As I began to walk, I took notice of the small, dark brown, leather pack on my back and the two hunting knives at my sides. The two hunting knives were in dark brown leather holsters that were attached to a dark brown leather belt. I wore form fitting black capris; a white skirt over them that came to my thighs; a white three-quarter length dress shirt; a plain blue button up vest; a cloak that looked a whole lot like the one on _Attack on Titan_ , except it was white and didn't have the Wings of Freedom on the back (oh how I wish it did), with the hood up concealing my short bright red hair (the less attention drawn to my bright red hair the better); and black loose-fitting ankle boots. The outfit was actually quite comfortable. I also took notice of a large round white pin pinned to the left part of my cloak. It simply read '10'.

_At least Sora didn't leave me naked..._

As I continued to follow No Mouth Man, the people in front of me began to run. _Why are we running now?_

Up in the front of the herd of examinees, No Mouth Man began to speak once again, "I neglected to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's Second Phase."

Up ahead I heard another person's voice, "What about Phase One?"

"It has already commenced." around me, people began to mummer things along the lines of if this was part of the test or not, "You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's First Phase."

"Follow you? That's it?" the disembodied voice spoke again.

"Yes, I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me," he informed us.

* * *

**Two Hours Later and Approximately Thirty Kilometers from the Start**

* * *

As we continued to run towards our ever out of reach goal, applicants started falling left and right.

_Is it odd that I'm thanking my parents for all those years of vigorous training?_

In front of me, a bespectacled man was huffing and puffing, sweating a waterfall. The sound of wheels greeted my ears from my right. I turned and was meet with a kid with fluffy white hair on a skateboard.

_Aw! I want one of those! Stupid overprotective parents..._

Four Eyes noticed his skateboard and looked ready to blow a gasket, "Hey! Wait up kid!"

*Skater Boy looked over his shoulder and looked at Four Eyes, "Hmm?"

"You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!"

_What is he going on about?_

Skater Boy voiced my question, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you using a skateboard? That's cheating." Four Eyes said as if his reason was as plain as day.

_How does using a skateboard mean he's cheating!?_

Again, Skate Boy voiced my question, "Why..."

Four Eyes was taken aback by his blunt answer, but quickly reverted back to pissed of, "This is an endurance test!"

"No it isn't." a young boy decked out in green, green tipped black hair, a light brown pack, and a fishing pole said. Don't ask me why he had a fishing pole. I'm just telling you what I see.

Four Eyes looked at Greeny, "Huh? Gon, what are you saying?" _Oh, so his name is Gon. Hmm... what a weird name..._

Gon looked at Four Eyes, "The examiner only told us to follow him."

"Whose side are you on, eh?" he yelled at Gon.

Skater Boy rolls back towards Gon, "Hey, how old are you?"

"I'm twelve years old," he said. _What's a kid like him doing in a place like this!?_

Skater Boy gave Gon a surprised look, "Hmm..." he kicked off of his board causing it to flip into the air. He skillfully caught with a practiced precision, "Guess I'll run too."

Gon stared in amazement at Skater Boy's agility/dexterity, "Wow! That was cool!"

I ran up and flanked Gon's right side and voiced my opinion, "Yeah, totally Skater Boy!"

Gon gave a yelp of surprise while Skater Boy raised an eyebrow.

"Where'd you come from?" he asked.

"From behind you." I snarked at him causing him to narrow his eyes at me, "I saw your skateboard trick and thought I'd comment on it. Is that so wrong?"

"No..." he gave me a look saying that if I made one wrong move I would surely regret it, "Anyways, how old are you."

"I'm fifteen," I answered.

"Hmm... you're sure are short for a fifteen-year-old. You're barely taller than me!" he said with a sly smile, "Or maybe I _am_ taller than you?"

"SHUT UP OR I'LL BREAK YOUR SKATEBOARD!" I yelled at him. _How dare he mock my height!_

"Hey, Nee-san. What's your name?" Gon said, distracting me with his cuteness and the use of the term 'Nee-san'.

_You sly dog..._

"N-N-Nee-san?" I blushed. _That's new..._

"Mmm!"

"M-Mai..." I said still blushing.

"I'm Gon."

"I'm Killua."

And before I knew it, I had just introduced myself to two of the people who would change my life forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading my story! This is my first anime fan fiction so tell me how I'm doing, okay? Good.
> 
> If you do not know this already, they have just released the first episode of Hunter x Hunter (2011), Dub. I watched it on Kiss Anime and the next episode is coming out in about four days. In my opinion, the Dub is not as good as the Sub, but this could be due to the fact that I watched the sub version for years.
> 
> * Skater Boy= As I was writing this, the term 'Skater Boy' popped into my head and so I used it. It reminds me of the song Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne. It's a good song.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again. See you in the next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: February 10, 2017


	3. Frack?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

As we continued to run, we talked about our likes and dislikes.

"Ne, Killua... What's your favorite candy?" I asked him.

"That's an easy one! Chocolate!" For a moment, I swear I saw cat ears pop up from his head.

"What about you Gon?"

"Ahg! I can't decide! There's too many to choose from." He said in anguish. He sighs, "What about you Mai? You haven't told us yours."

"Hmm... I would have to go with-" before I could say my favorite candy, the three of us heard the sound of a briefcase falling to the ground. We turned and saw Four Eyes sweaty and out of breath, his hands on his knees.

Gon stood there and watched his friend. I looked over at Killua and saw that he was getting impatient.

"Hey, forget him let's go."

Gon just continued to stand there. _What is he waiting for?_

"Screw that..." Four Eyes said no longer panting, "I'm gonna become a Hunter!" all of a sudden, he sprinted forward and we calmly turned our heads as he passed by.

_I guess he was waiting for that... Did I just feel sweat hit my cheek?! GROSS!_

I wiped the sweat from my cheek and saw that Four Eyes left his black and red checkered briefcase behind.

"Umm... Gon. Four Eyes left his briefcase." I heard a snicker from Killua when I said my nickname for the man.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. He took out his fishing pole and proceeded to 'fish' for the briefcase. He pulled on the line and caught the case by the handle with the grace of a green swan.

Killua looked at this trick in awe, "Cool!"

"Wicked!" I said at the same time. We then started running after the herd of Hunter applicants.

"Let me try that later."

"Me too!" I said with a smile on face.

"If you let me try your skateboard, okay?"

"Sure." He said.

"Ne, ne, Nee-san, what do you have that I can try out?" Gon asked in curiosity.

"Umm... oh! I know! You can check out my hunting knives."

His head turned to the side like a puppy's, "Your... hunting knives?"

"Mmmhmm." I took my knives out of their holsters and proceeded to toss them into the air and catch them, "I can do more tricks when I'm standing still, but you get the idea."

"Sugoi!" Gon said in amazement.

"You've got to let me try that!" Killua exclaimed in excitement.

"As long as I get to try out the fishing rod and your skateboard Skater Boy."

"Definitely!"

"STOP CALLING ME SKATER BOY!" they said at the same time.

I threw back my head and laughed, "Never!"

* * *

**Have Reached the Eighty Kilometer Mark**

* * *

We continued making small talk and I continued calling Killua 'Skater Boy' (no matter how many times he told me to stop). The people in front of us began to pick up the pace so we guessed that Satoz had speed up.

Killua looked over at the two of us, "Gon, Mai; wanna race to see who finishes first?"

"The loser has to buy dinner," Gon said, laying down the penalty for losing.

"You're on!" my thoughts going towards what kind of meal I'd have them buy for me. _Maybe I should go for some steak and potatoes... Steak and potatoes sound good now._ I could already feel the drool on my chin. I quickly removed the drool.

"Ready... Go!" we said at the same time.

We ran up the steps dodging people who had given up already.

 _That just means less competition for me!~ But, what is my goal... what will I tell people when they ask!? Hmm... So far, this has been the most fun I've had in years. I've made a friend and I have what you could call an adopted brother. This is all one big adventure! Adventure... THAT'S IT! I 'll just tell people that I was looking for an adventure because my home life was completely boring. But what if they ask where I'm from... I guess I'll just tell them that I came from somewhere far away. That should extinguish their curiosity and when and if I find someone that I completely and totally trust, and when I'm ready, I'll tell them the truth._ At the thought of home, my mind flashed to my adoptive parents with a pang of sadness. I shook my head to rid my head of the somber thoughts. _Now's not the time to think about them. Once the situation has calmed down a bit, then you can grieve of the potential thought of never seeing them again._

My train of thought was broken when I heard Four Eyes talking up ahead with some blonde boy that looked sort of like a girl. _I'll just call him Pretty Boy for now._ Seems Gon and Killua also noticed them.

"See you at the goal Kurapika," Gon said to Kurapika, whom I'm guessing is Pretty Boy, as we were passing them.

"Catch you later, old timer." I snickered at Killua's comment.

This seemed to piss off Four Eyes, "I'm not old! I'm a teenager, just like you guys!"

Every single one of us blanched at that.

"Eh!?" was Killua's reaction.

"No way!?" was Gon's reaction.

Pretty Boy just stayed silent and stared at him.

"Frack?!" was my reaction. I got a lot of stares for my reaction

"What!? It's an actual word!" I yelled at them.

"In what language!?" Four Eyes exclaimed.

"Mine!" I retorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of you have read this far. It makes me so happy that people are reading this story. ^v^
> 
> In that last part where she uses the word 'frack'. It is actually a real word (look it up if you don't believe me). It is from the show Battlestar Galactica. To get around using the F-Bomb in the show, they used the term 'frack' as a substitute. I totally recommend this show if you're looking for suspense, drama, plot bombs (boom that just happened moments), and the fight for the survival of the human race. The lowdown of the show is that the Cylons (robots) have attacked the 13 planet colonies. The remaining humans must flee their respective planet on the Battle Star Galactica. They then go and search for the legendary Earth. The tricky part of the show is knowing who a Cylon is because instead of looking like toasters (robots), they look just like us! That's all I'm gonna tell you or else I'll spoil it for ya.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading. See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: February 10, 2017


	4. Poster Child of an Amazing Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

Ever since we've been running on the stairs, people have to drop like flies left and right.

"I'm impressed that you two can keep up with me," Killua commented to Gon and me.

"Really?" he says with a giggle.

"I blame my parents." is all I say though in the back of my mind I feel a twinge of grief. _Later Mai, later..._

Killua raises an eyebrow, "Or maybe it's just that everyone is too slow." he lowered his head in disappointment, "Man... The Hunter Exam is gonna be a breeze. That's no fun."

"Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter?" Gon asked Killua curiously.

Killua lifted his head back up, "Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter?"

"Huh?"

"Why not?" I asked.

"I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun. But this is disappointing. What about you?" he asked Gon.

"Well, my dad's a Hunter." the three of us veered right to avoid a person lying on the stairs, "So I want to become a Hunter, like my dad."

"Hmm... What kind of Hunter is he?"

"Yeah, he must be a great Hunter if you want to be just like him!" I interjected. _Wait a minute... What exactly is a Hunter anyway? Do they go around hunting down dangerous stuff or something?_

"I don't know." he replied innocently.

Both Killua and I looked at each and then burst out laughing.

"That's kind of weird," Killua said while I was still laughing.

"Really?" he gave the two of us a confused look.

Killua began to giggle again so I took up where he left off, "You want to be like your dad, but you don't know a bloody thing about him. How are going to do that?"

"I was raised Mito-san, so I've only seen my dad in pictures," Gon said.

"Who's Mito-san?" both Killua and I ask at the same time.

"Aunt Mito."

"Ooh... your aunt," I said in realization.

"Oh..." Killua said with an unsure look on his face.

"When he was twelve, my dad took the Hunter Exam. He passed and became a Hunter. Then he left the island. I want to find out why he chose to be a Hunter over being with me." he said with a smile on his face.

I felt a drop of sweat fall down my forehead at his naïve behavior, "You do know that most people in your situation would be angry at their dad."

He looked at me with understanding in his eyes, "I know what you mean. I once thought so long ago before I knew he was a Hunter, but when I found out... I figured he had his reasons for doing so. I want to know them." he gave me a look of determination.

"Oh, I get it now." I said with realization. _This is the poster child of an amazing son._

Killua, on the other hand, looked at Gon as if he was just plain crazy. He looked at me with a desperate look in his eyes, "Please tell me your reason for taking the Hunter Exam aren't as crazy as his."

I let out a small giggle, "Not even close. I'm taking the Hunter Exam in search of adventure."

He let a sigh of relief, "Thank God you're not that crazy."

"I'll take that as a complement Skater Boy," I said with a smirk on my face enjoying the ticked off face he gave me.

He sighed in defeat knowing he wasn't going to win. He looked forward and his eyes widened. I looked at where he was looking and saw a light. _The exit!_

The people in front of us also noticed the exit.

"The exit!"

"Whew..."

"Finally, I can get out of this dark tunnel!"

The three of us smirked and dashed for the exit. _No way am I losing to Greeny and Skater Boy!_

The Phase One examiner, Satotz, stop at the mouth of the tunnel and turned to look at him just as we passed him, exiting the tunnel. Gon, Killua (who was on his left), and I (who was on his right) exited the tunnel simultaneously.

"Goal!" we shouted at the same time, with wide grins on our faces, laughing.

"Yatta! I win." Gon said confidently, pumping his fist in the air.

"No, I was!" Killua exclaimed.

"Nu-uh! I was!" I claimed.

"I was faster, so you two have to buy me dinner!" Gon argued.

"Nope! I was faster."

"Would you two give it a rest!? We all know I was the one that was the fastest." I said with a smirk.

"But I was faster." the three of us turned to Satotz who we had forgotten up until then was there when we crossed, "Ne, who was faster?" Gon asked.

He looked at the three of us in turn, "I believe that you crossed the finish line simultaneously."

"A three-way tie!?" I exclaimed. We turned to each other with conflicted looks, "Now what?"

"Oh... Then I'll buy the two of you dinner." Gon proclaimed.

"Huh?" both Killua and I looked at Gon with surprise on our faces. _What is he on?_

"Then the two of you buy me dinner and then the two of us buy dinner for Mai!" he continued to proclaim.

Killua takes a step back in confusion, "I don't get it."

"I'm with you on that Skater Boy."

Gon turned to Satotz, "Ne, Satotz-san. Is this where the Second Phase of the exam takes place?"

"No, we still have quite a ways to go." he replied.

"Oh..."

"Awe... I don't wanna run anymore!" I whined like a child.

"I thought you were older than us?" Killer said with a smirk. _I swear I saw cat ears pop up when he smirked!_

"Shut up Skater Boy!"

"Stop calling me 'Skater Boy'!" he cried out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the fourth chapter.
> 
> I plan on starting the romance for this story in the next chapter. I hope yall enjoy it.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading. See you in the next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: February 10, 2017


	5. The First to Die in a Zombie Apocalypse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

I sat in front of the tunnel exit alongside Gon and Killua, talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

"Hey, Nee-san. You never did tell us your favorite candy back in the tunnel."

"Huh..." my eyes widened in realization, "You're right I didn't."

"Well, out with it already." Killua said impatiently.

"I would have to go with assorted jelly beans (the ones that have the funky flavors like: coffee, lemon meringue, wild cherry) and strawberry licorice." I replied.

"Hmm... Why those?" Killua asked.

"I-" I thought about it, "I don't know. I just always have."

"Weirdo..."

"Thank you. I take that as a compliment!~" I snarkily replied.

"Tsk."

* * *

This continued on as more and more applicants came out of the tunnel. The fog was as thick as pea soup.

 _I wonder if I can eat the fog?_ My stomach let out a small growl. _Gosh, I'm hungry... I wonder if there's anything in my pack?_

I took off my dark brown leather pack and placed it in front of me. Unlatching the two metal clasps, I peered inside. Inside, I found: a pair of socks, an extra shirt, an extra pair of capris, a hairbrush, a hair tie, two small knives, a water bottle, and- wait... _HOLY FREAKING CHRISTMAS CAKES!_

I stuck my hand down into my bag and fished out a small, rectangular, foil covered package.

"Yatta!" I cried out in victory as I pulled my hand out of my pack.

"What is it Nee-san?" Gon asked. I showed Gon what I found, "A-a granola bar?"

"Running took a lot out of me so I'm starved!" I said as I ripped open the wrapper and took a bite out of the granola bar. It was one of those raisin granola bars, "Oh my gosh this good. They aren't kidding when they said that hunger as the best sauce on anything!"

Gon and Killua just sweat dropped at my reaction. While Gon had the decency to not voice his opinions, Killua was another story.

"Weirdo, it's just a granola bar."

I shot him a glare, "Anything is gourmet when you're hungry, _Skater Boy."_ I said with a smirk.

"Grr!"

"Ne, ne Nee-san, why do call Killua 'Skater Boy'?" Gon asked curiously and simultaneously pausing Killua's anger. _I swear he hides how cunning he truly is on purpose._

"Before I knew his name, I identified him as 'Skate Boy' because he was riding a skateboard. The name just stuck. It also pertains to his aura." I answered taking another bite of my granola bar.

"His aura?"

"My aura?" they said at the same time.

"Yeah his aura. His aura is all chill and laid back like a skater's is, but also has underlying hint of danger that gives his aura some spunk." I clarified.

"Oh that makes sense." Gon replied.

"Plus... it annoys the heck out of him." I said with a sly smirk. Before Killua could complain about my reasoning, we heard Four Eyes huffing and puffing up the remaining stairs. He put his hands on his knees and tried to regain his breath. A couple seconds later, Pretty Boy came out behind him, slightly out of breath.

"Hey, Kurapika!" Gon greeted.

Kurapika gave Gon a small wave, "Huff, is this our destination?"

"No, it isn't." he said with a smile as Killua watched the conversation play out.

"I see." he said. He then noticed me sitting next to Gon. He blinked a couple times before saying anything, "Umm, hi. I'm Kurapika."

"Mai. You're a friend of Gon's, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I am. I'm guessing you're one of his friends as well I see."

"Yep!" I replied with a smile.

Kurapika looked out into the fog with a tint of pink on his cheeks.

_Is he blushing? I must be seeing things... Right?_

"The fog is fading." Kurapika said causing the three of us looked out into the fog as well.

"Really?" Gon questioned as he got up off the ground. I put the other half of my granola bar in my pack and slung it back on my shoulders before standing up as well, just in time to hear Gon gasp. I looked up to see what Gon gasped at and proceeded to gasp as well.

"As the fog slowly faded away, more and more of the foliage could be seen. Trees stretched as far as the eye could see. _I don't think I've ever seen so many trees in my life..._ As I thought this, four birds flew out of the trees and into the sky.

"Wicked..." I said in awe.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp." I looked towards the front and saw Satotz looking out into the swamp, "We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful." he warned as he turned to us. He held up his finger, "If you let them fool you..." he paused, "... you're dead."

The rest of the applicants gasped in horror.

_I bet he just paused for effect to scare us._

We all gasped and turned around when we heard the gate behind us close. As the gate closed, we could applicant 305 climbing the stairs. He tripped on the stairs out of exhaustion.

"Wait for me!" he screamed with an outstretched hand. The gate closed with a deafening thud.

Satotz crossed his arms, "These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey." another round of gasps could be heard. _Seriously! What's with all this gasping!? I feel like I'm in a soap opera for crying out loud!_ , "An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit... Hence the name Swindlers Swamp." he turned back around, "Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

Four Eyes finally stood up straight after catching his breath, "Keh! What a joke. How can they fool us when we're expecting it?" he said with a smirk.

"Don't let them fool you!" everybody turned around to see who had spoken.

"I just said that they can't." he said while turning around to see who had opposed him.

A man came out from behind the corner of the small building that housed the exit of the tunnel. He clothes were dirty and torn in places and his place looked scuffed up as if he had just come out of a fight, "D-Don't fall for it." The applicants looked to him in confusion.

"He's lying to you! He's an imposter!" he accused pointing towards Satotz, causing the applicants to part like the Red Sea. The man now had a clear view of our odd Phase One examiner, "He isn't an examiner..." he paused jerking his thumb at himself, "I'm the real examiner." gasps could be heard all around. I gave the man a hard look.

"An imposter? What's going on?" Four Eyes questioned.

"Look at this..." the so called real examiner said dragging a scraggly looking Satotz out from behind the building the building. This Satotz was covered in brown fur, had messy lavender hair, and sharp teeth that could be seen due to the fact that his mouth was hanging open with his long sticking out... which was due to him being limp and dead.

"He looks just like Satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed. I turned and looked towards Killua to see his face showed clear and total disbelief. I then looked towards Kurapika and Four Eyes. Four Eyes seemed to be buying the whole thing while Pretty Boy was skeptical.

_At least we know who'll be the first to die in the zombie apocalypse..._

"It's a Man-Faced Ape," I turned back around when I heard him speaking again, "One of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands!" the man said to us.

"A Man-Faced Ape?" Four Eyes said in disbelief.

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak." _Then how in the world did you get so beat up? Your supposedly a Hunter Exam examiner and you can't evaluate what your not so you would have to be a Hunter to be an examiner. Plus, from what I can tell, Hunters are supposed to be super strong and cool and you lack in both criteria._ "That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them." _Even if it's not a weak Man-Faced Ape, I don't think anything not on par with a Hunter can kill a Hunter._ The fake examiner pointed towards Satotz once again, "He intends to trap every single applicant!" he said with a smirk on his face. _And there's the clincher. He smirked, meaning he's up to something._

"Bastard..." I heard Four-Eyes mutter behind me. _But I doubt anyone with the brain the size of a squirrel would understand this though... like him._

"He certainly doesn't walk like a human..." applicant 294 stated. _... And him._

All of a sudden, I see three cards pass my field of vision. Piercing into the fake examiner. Two the chest and one to the forehead.

_What the frack was that!?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	6. Bubblegum Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

**Last time on _Red is a Pretty Color_...**

All of a sudden, I see three cards pass my field of vision. Piercing into the fake examiner. Two to the chest and one to the forehead.

_What the frack was that!?_

* * *

 

I looked to my left and saw a man clad in a light blue, puffy sleeved halter top with a black club and the front and a pink heart and diamond on the back while he had a blue tear drop under his right eye and a pink star under his left. He wore three pink bands on his upper arms, wrists, and neck while he had four encasing his abdomen. He had a yellow cloth tied around his waist over his light blue pants. He also had a pair of heels on which went with his freakishly weird hair that was flamingo pink, but what intrigued me the most about him... was his aura. It was strong, dangerous, sinister, and reminded me of bubblegum; the way it would get stuck in your hair and would be impossible to get rid of. _But why bubblegum._

"I see, I see... that settles it..." he opened his amber eyes, "You're the real one."

"Huh?" I looked towards the supposedly dead Man-Faced Ape. It suddenly got up and ran off.

Bubblegum Man closed his eyes and began to talk again with a psychopathic smirk on his face, "Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay." vultures began to circle overhead, "Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack." I looked towards Satotz and saw cards at his feet. His eyes were closed.

"I take that as a compliment." he opened his eyes, "However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified." his eyes narrowed at him, "Are we clear?"

"Sure." he said without a care in the world.

The vultures that had been circling overhead, came down and began eating at the fake examiner. As they ate him, you could hear the squishing sounds of the meat being nibbled off the bones.

 _Gross._ I could tell by the looks on all the other applicants' faces (minus Killua and Bubblegum Man), that they thought the same thing.

"Nature really can be brutal to watch..." said Four Eyes in slight disgust.

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape as well." Kurapika commented.

Satotz began to walk through the middle of the crowd of applicants, "He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away."

"We cannot relax our guard." said Killua informing Gon and me to be wary of the dangers we may face.

"Yeah." both Gon and I say at the same time.

"You will be encountering such deception on regular basis." Satotz said coming to a stop at the edge of the crowd of applicants, "I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?" both Four Eyes and applicant 294 scratched the back of their heads embarrassed; laughing sheepishly. Satotz turned towards us, "Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetland fog, you will never reach the exam's Second Phase. Do bear that in mind. Then let us be on our way. Please follow me."

* * *

 

**And with that, he led us into the foggy swamp of the Numere Wetlands with a total number of 368 applicants. 36 left in the tunnels.**

* * *

"Pay attention now. Be sure to stay close behind me." he called out to us.

As we continued to run through the swamp, the fog began to grow thicker and thicker. So thick that I could feel the fog brush against my pale skin. Half an hour after we started running again, I took notice of Killua looking behind him.

"What is it Killua?" I asked with a concerned tone of voice. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch before going back to their normal size as quickly as they widened. I almost didn't notice it... almost. Gon turned to Killua as well.

"Let's move up." he said with an air of certainty. I gave him a curious look.

Gon moved his gaze from Killua and looked ahead of him, "Okay. We don't want to lose sight of the examiner."

"I'm more concerned with increasing the distance between us and Hisoka. Staying too close to him is dangerous. I can smell it in the air." he said with a serious tone of voice.

_Hisoka? Does he mean Bubblegum Man?_

"Smell?" Gon questioned before taking a whiff of the air. He turned to look towards Hisoka, "Hmm... I don't think he smells." he turned his head in the other direction and called out behind him to his other two friends, Four Eyes, and Kurapika, " Leorio! Kurapika! Killua says that we should move up!" _Oh... so Four Eyes' actual name is Leorio. Hmm... I think I'll just stick to calling him Four Eyes for now._

Killua turned to Gon, "Hey... can't you feel the tension surrounding us? Please tell me you're not as naïve." he narrowed his eyes at me. In the background, we could hear Leorio and Kurapika give Gon a response to his call.

I let out a small chuckle, "Don't worry Skater Boy. I'm not as naïve as my otouto. I can feel the tension as well. It's pooling off of their auras in waves."

"Mmm... let's go, Mai, Gon." Killua said before running off ahead.

"Ah, wait!" Gon pleaded before the two of us ran after Killua.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter!
> 
> *Flamingo Pink= reference from Ouran Highschool Host Club
> 
> I'd like to say thanks to Kainaya who encouraged me to pursue the romance for this story.
> 
> Thanks again. See you in the next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	7. Search for Gon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

As we ran through the dense fog, I could hear screams left and right. _What the heck is going on here?_

"I hear people screaming all around us." Gon stated worriedly.

"Just stay on your guard." Killua told us.

"I wonder if Leorio and Kurapika are okay..." Gon said with downcast eyes.

I pat Gon on the head, "I'm sure the two of them are fine. With Pretty Boy with him, Four Eyes has a higher chance of surviving!~" I said with a smile. Both Gon and Killua giggled at their nicknames.

Suddenly, I felt that something off with the environment. I'm guessing Gon and Killua felt it too. The three of us stopped to look around, but before we could, we began to fall through the ground.

"Wah!" we screamed as we fell to our impending doom.

I was met with a squishy, wet environment. My movements were constricted. I was beginning to find it hard to breathe. I began to panic and hyperventilate. Then, I felt something push from underneath and the next thing I know, I'm lying in a puddle of vomit, coughing, trying to catch my breath. I could feel the vomit dripping off my red hair which somehow stayed concealed by my hood. I crack my eyes open and see Gon and Killua sitting in the same puddle of vomit.

"Nee-san! Are you okay?" Gon asked worriedly.

"I'm-cough-alright. Just catching my breath. What was that thing?" I ask once I'm able to breathe again.

"I think it was a giant frog." Killua answered.

Gon laughs sheepishly; scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "I guess he didn't like the taste of us."

Killua pulled out an orange soda can with a yellow label, "It was this." he said nonchalantly.

"That was from Tonpa-san! Guess he saved us."

"I could have escaped." he said throwing the can to the ground.

"Umm... who's 'Tonpa-san'?" I asked.

"That short, fat guy in the blue shirt. Applicant number 16." Killua provided.

"Oh! Tubby!" I said, recognizing him from the tunnel. Both Killua and Gon burst out laughing at this. Gon actually fell over in a fit of laughter. I gave them a sly look, "Glad I could make both your days. But enough of the joking around, we need to catch up with the herd of applicants."

"Mai's right. We need to catch up with them." Killua agreed.

"Oh my gosh! Did you just agree with me?" I said with a smirk.

"Shut up Weirdo!" he yelled out me.

"I'm still worried about Leorio and Kurapika." Gon said with downcast eyes.

Killua forgot his anger and turned to Gon with a stony look, "Forget about them. Let's get a move on. We can still catch up to the examiner." he said before running off.

"Don't worry Gon. I'm positive that both Leorio and Kurapika will be fine." I said before running off after Killua.

After our encounter with the giant frog, we continued to run in silence. About fifteen minutes into our search to find the herd of applicants, we finally find them running through the fog. We come to a stop.

"Cool..." Killua said with a smile, "We've caught up with the group, Gon, Mai." He said turning around to look at us, but when he did, his smile fell, "Gon..."

I turned to look where I thought Gon was and saw that he was not there. I wiped my head around. Searching for Gon, "Gon? Gon!" I called out in fear of the worst. I turned to look at Killua and saw him trying to conceal the fact that he was on the verge of tears. I crouched down in front of him, grabbing him by the shoulders, "Hey, it's okay. I'll find him."

"But what if he's gone?" he questioned. When I looked him in the eyes, I saw a boy who has been lonely his whole life and is now afraid that his one friend has been taken from him.

"Don't worry, I'll find him. I know I will, Killua." I said with certainty. I pulled him into a hug and kissed his forehead, "I want you to follow Satotz and the rest of the herd of applicants. I'm confident that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I want to at least make sure I know where you are. Okay?"

"Okay." He said. I watched as he disappeared into the fog. As soon as he did, I bolted in the opposite direction to find Gon.

_I hope he's okay._

* * *

It took me twenty minutes to find Gon, but what I found made my blood run cold. What I found was Hisoka holding Gon off the ground by the neck. He was struggling against his grip trying to breathe. Before I knew it, I had pulled out one of the knives in my pack and threw it at Hisoka so that it grazed his nose and then embedded itself in a tree afterwards. He dropped Gon immediately in surprise. He turned towards me and my extended arm. I lowered my arm and glanced at Gon and saw him on his hands and knees

"Keep. Your hands. Off. My brother. Bubblegum Man." I said firmly. If looks could kill, he would be dead ten times over.

A trickle of blood fell from the cut I made on his nose. He chuckled and gave me a creepy smile, "How wonderful... I really do love that look." he looked at the two hunting knives on my belt and then back to me, "May I have a look at those knives of yours?" he asked.

_Pedophile alert!_

"You can go to Hell!" I screamed at him, "No one threatens my brother's life like that and gets away with it!" I charged at him.

He looked to me with a crazy gleam in his eyes.

_This is not how I intended my *'Search for Gon' to go!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter.
> 
> * This chapter was named after the Star Trek movie Search for Spock.
> 
> I want your opinion on this story. I would also like to know what you would like to see maybe in the future. I may just end up putting one or two of your ideas into the story. Keep in mind that this story is TV-14 so don't go asking me to put a lemon in this story.
> 
> Thanks again. See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	8. I Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

**Last time on _Red is a Pretty Color_...**

It took me twenty minutes to find Gon, but what I found made my blood run cold. What I found was Hisoka holding Gon off the ground by the neck. He was struggling against his grip trying to breathe. Before I knew it, I had pulled out one of the knives in my pack and threw it at Hisoka so that it grazed his nose and then embedded itself in a tree afterwards. He dropped Gon immediately in surprise. He turned towards me and my extended arm. I lowered my arm and glanced at Gon and saw him on his hands and knees

"Keep. Your hands. Off. My brother. Bubblegum Man." I said firmly. If looks could kill, he would be dead ten times over.

A trickle of blood fell from the cut I made on his nose. He chuckled and gave me a creepy smile, "How wonderful... I really do love that look." he looked at the two hunting knives on my belt and then back to me, "May I have a look at those knives of yours?" he asked.

_Pedophile alert!_

"You can go to Hell!" I screamed at him, "No one threatens my brother's life like that and gets away with it!" I charged at him.

He looked to me with a crazy gleam in his eyes.

_This is not how I intended my *'Search for Gon' to go!_

* * *

Only ten minutes into the battle against Hisoka and I was already tired. I felt a trickle of sweat fall down my cheek.

_I need to end this soon._

I charged at him again and made it look like I was rearing back for a punch, but just as my fist was about to make contact, I swiftly moved to the left and went to stab him in the shoulder with my hunting knife (which I had taken out earlier in the battle). Just as I was about to ram the thing into his shoulder, I felt an arm encase my waist and a card against my throat. I let out a gasp, my green eyes widening as I felt my feet leave the ground due to his height.

He let out a chuckle, "You did good, Little Red." my eyes were wide with fear. _He did not just give me a creepy pet name and how did he know my hair was red!?_ That's when I took notice that the hood of my cloak had fallen off during the battle. He pulled me closer to his chest and whispered in my ear, his breath moving the short strands of my hair slightly, "I'd very much like to fight you again."

"Frack you."

He chuckled, "Such language shouldn't be used by a young lady such as yourself."

"Well guess what, I don't plan on changing my vocabulary any time soon so I'll say it again. Frack. You." I said, my words dripping with venom.

He chuckled again, letting go of me which caused me drop to the ground. I jumped away from him as soon as my feet touched the ground and ran in front of Gon, who had recovered from his fight and was now sitting on the ground. Still a bit shaken up, but overall, okay.

"Do not fear. I won't kill you. You three pass." he said with a closed eye smile. Both Gon and I look at him in disbelief. _Wait... t_ _hree?_ I looked around the surrounding area and saw Leorio knocked out cold on the ground. I looked back towards Hisoka and saw that his smile had grown, "Yes, you three pass. Grow up and become fine Hunters." as soon as he finished speaking, we heard beeping sound.

Hisoka took out a walkie-talkie and listened to the other person on the line, "Hisoka, you should get back here. We're nearly at the Phase Two site." the man on the other side said.

He put the walkie-talkie to his mouth and spoke into it, "Okay, I'll be right there." he put the walkie talkie away and walked towards Leorio. Both Gon and I follow his movements as he picked Leorio and put him over his left shoulder, "It's always good to have friends." he looks to us over his shoulder, "You two can find your own way back, yes?" _Can we?_ I looked to Gon and saw him nod his head. _Apparently, we can._

"That's a good boy." he says before walking away and into the fog.

As soon as he disappeared, both Gon and I let out a shuddering breath.

"That..." I start to say.

"Was freaky." Gon finished. We looked at each other and smile sheepishly at each other, "Nee-san, are you alright?"

"Am _I_ alright?" I pivot on my right leg so that I'm facing him and looking down at him, "Gon, he had you by the throat! I should be the one asking if you're okay!" I yell at him.

He scratched the back of his head, "But I am fine Nee-san. Shaken up, but fine." he reassured me.

I let out a sigh of relief. I crouched down in front of him and brought him to my chest so that I could hug, "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again! You hear me you baka!? Don't scare me like that." tears began to fell from my eyes and onto his shoulder, "When I saw you being chocked by him, I was so scared. I began to think I was too late. You worried both Killua and I. You should have seen him. He was worried about you, but don't let him know I told you this, okay? I think it would put a dent in his pride." I said with a giggle causing Gon to giggle as well. I wiped my eyes, "Do you promise that you'll try not to worry me like that again?" I held out my pinky.

He took my pinky in his, "I promise." as we unlocked our pinkies, his gaze turned towards my hair, "Ne, ne nee-san, your hair's really pretty!" he said with a beaming smile.

I let a giggle, "So I've been told by many people. Thank you." I said returning the smile.

"Why do you hide it?" he asked curiously?

"I hide it because it draws too much attention to myself." as I was about to put the hood back over my head, I heard a shout penetrate the fog.

"Gon, Mai! Are you alright?" _Did I just hear Kurapika?_ I looked past Gon's head to see if it was true. Sure enough, there he was. Running towards us. Gon turned his head as well to see him.

I gave him a smile, "Hey Kurapika! Long time no see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter.
> 
> I was unsure about how I would go about this chapter since there were a couple of ways this part of the story could play out, but I decided to go with this. Tell me what you think in the comments section below.
> 
> Thanks again. See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	9. What's Your Damage, Heather?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

After Kurapika found us and made sure we weren't hurt or anything, we went back to running, but I bet you're wondering how we would be able to find the herd of applicants in a dense fog. Well, that's easy... you just follow Gon and his incredible sense of smell. I know. Freaky, right? But that's not the only freaky thing.

Ever since Kurapika found us and saw me without my hood (which I had pulled back up as soon as we started running again), he had a hard time looking at me without blushing though I can't see why we would.

"This way." I heard Gon say as we came across another fork in the road. We had escaped the fog five minutes ago and were now running through a green forest that seemed to have a nature trail in it which was simple dirt road not covered in grass.

"You can really tell?" Kurapika asked.

"Uh huh. Leorio's cologne is very unique. I can smell it from a few kilometers away." he clarified.

Kurapika gave Gon a sideway glance as I giggled, "That's Gon for ya!" I said through giggles, "When you think you've figured him out, but you end up being surprised all over again. You sure are one unique kid, Outoto."

Gon let out a small chuckle before his face went serious, "Say Kurapika... what did Hisoka mean when he said Mai and I passed?" he questioned.

_I've been wondering the same thing. Especially that part where he whispered into my ear that he would like to fight again... that was so darn CREEPY!_

Kurapika turned his gaze from Gon to the path in front of him before answering, "Hisoka was acting as a judge."

"A judge?" we inquired.

"Yes. He must have his own benchmarks for evaluating power. It's possible that he was ascertaining each applicant's strength. Apparently, you, Leorio, and Mai must have met his standards." he clarified.

"I see. But I was powerless to do anything against him. Mai did a little better than me but she still was powerless against him." he said.

"He's right. I could feel his aura surrounding me. It was suffocating." I said with a cringe.

"Didn't the two of you land your first hit on him?" he questioned looking back at Gon.

Gon looked up through the tree canopy and at the blue sky, "Only because we both surprised him. Besides, Leorio passes even though he lost..."

Kurapika looked to me before looking forward once again, "Hmm... perhaps he sensed that you were kindred spirits."

"Kindred spirits?" I asked curiously.

"I seriously doubt that Hisoka could qualify as a Hunter. However," he paused, "I must admit that he did impress me with his superhuman agility and graceful technique. It's quite common that those possessing special talents are drawn to others with unique gifts. Most likely, Hisoka's instincts and experience told him that you had the skill and potential to become Hunters. Killing you now would have been a waste... that was his perspective." Kurapika must have thought his words were offensive in some way because he started apologizing, "Oh, I'm sorry! Was that insensitive on my part?" I shook my head at this. _He sure is adorable when he does that. Wait... why did I think that was adorable?_ I let out a sigh. _I guess I'll add that question to the growing list of things I need answers to._

Gon shook his head, "No... but I was pretty excited, as well." I raised an eyebrow at this. Kurapika must have thought that was strange as well since he let out an 'Eh?' at that, "I was so scared, I wanted to run away. But I couldn't at the same time." both our gazes soften at this, "And at the same time, I was excited." he turned to us, "Isn't that strange?"

Kurapika and I looked at each other, green meeting grey, and we smiled, shaking our heads at Gon. _He's still full of surprises, isn't he_?

* * *

After running down the nature trail for about ten minutes, we come upon a group of tired applicants.

"Looks like we made it in time," Kurapika said in relief. The three of us then began our search for Leorio. We walked through the crowd of applicants searching for him. Suddenly, both Gon and I felt a surge of aura. I whipped our heads to the left to see Hisoka. He pointed towards his left, showing us where he placed Leorio.

"Leorio!" Gon shouted. What we found was Leorio with a big swollen cheek in a daze sitting against a tree in the shade. He was still shirtless and had tied his jacket around his waist. We ran towards him. Once we reached him, Gon placed his red and black checkered briefcase next to him.

"Man, that stings..." he said rubbing is swollen cheek, "Why am I all beat up?" _Eh? Doesn't he remember getting beat up by Hisoka?_ Gon and Kurapika must have had the same thought since I could hear an audible 'Huh?' from them, "My memory is kinda hazy."

Kurapika turned and whispered in Gon's ear before repeating them to me in mine, "We probably shouldn't tell him what happened." he said, his breath tickling my ear and moving a few strands of my red hair.

I blushed at the proximity of how close he was to me before replying, "Y-yeah." _Why am I blushing?_

"Gon, Mai." I heard a voice from behind us. I turned around and found it was Killua walking towards us who said it.

"Killua!" the two of us exclaimed.

"I can't believe you actually got here..." he said with a smile on his face. I could see the relief he was feeling from seeing us safe and sound in his eyes. He then gave a small smirk, "I thought you were done for." we walked towards him as well.

We met in the middle and Gon began to speak to him, "I just tracked Leorio's cologne." he said in a matter of fact tone.

Killua did a double take before answering, "Cologne? That was how?" Killua leaned towards Gon giving him the 'Seriously?' look, "You definitely are weird."

I giggled at this and patted Killua on the head, "He sure is, but not as weird as me, right?" I said with a smirk.

He gave me a smirk of his own, "Yeah, no one is as high on the 'Weird Scale' as you are, Nee-san." as soon the word 'Nee-san' left his lips he clamped them shut with wide blue eyes that all but said 'Oops!'.

I let out a small chuckle before patting his head again, "I hope I stay at the top of that scale, Outoto-kun." I said with a smile. He smiled back.

I suddenly felt someone's gaze burning holes into the back of my head. I also felt a bit of blood lust that was on the verge of exploding. I turned around saw applicant 301 staring at me. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was covered from head to toe in yellow needles and wore a green getup with needles in his clothes. The needles made me cringe. Pin Head continued to glare at me. * _What's your damage, Heather!?_ I pulled down my eyelid and stuck my tongue out him. This seemed to tick him off even more. I smirked.

Mai: 1  
Pin Head: 0

"Excellent work, everyone." I turned my head back around and towards Satotz, who was standing with his arms outstretched in front of a gigantic gate that had a tall, white, brick wall encasing it on either side. Two columns flanked the sides of the gate. At the top of each column, there was a red tiled turret. _Cool..._ , "Phase Two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park." he brought his arms down to his side and began to speak again, "So, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." and with that, we watched as he walked away and into the forest.

We turned back around when the doors of the gate opened up for us with a rumble.

_Okay, let's get this party started._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter!
> 
> I have posted a character profile for Mai on my FF.net profile if you want to check it out.
> 
> *What's your damage Heather = a phrase from a movie I have yet to watch and that is rated R.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	10. My Atrocious Dancing Skills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

**Last time on Red is a Pretty Color...**

We turned back around when the doors of the gate opened up for us with a loud rumble.

 _Okay, let's get this_ _party started._

* * *

"Will all applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" a female voice from inside the gate asked. We began to file in like she asked.

Inside the gate were rows of cooking stations which were in front of a ginormous estate. I could feel my eyes begin to sparkle. _Oh my gosh! These cooking stations... they're top of the line! I wanna touch!_

"Welcome. I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner." a woman who was sitting on a couch that sat at the steps leading up to the estate said. She had bright green hair tied up to stand up against her head in five sections with pink ribbon, but it wasn't her weird hair that made me blush. Not even close. It was her outfit. Her outfit consisted of a dark brown bra under a baggy, light brown _see-through_ crop top and frayed, low cut, blue jean, booty shorts. I liked the shoes, though. They were knee high, dark brown, high-heeled boots with pink bows going up and down the front.

_How can a woman allow herself to reveal so much skin!? How can you even consider that an outfit!? It looks more like underwear to me! Unless you're going for a swim, you shouldn't wear something like that!_

"And I'm Buhara, the other examiner." he greeted us. He sat behind the Scandalous Lady on the ground.

We were soon greeted by a low rumbling. Every single one of us gasped.

"Wh-What was that sound?" one of the applicants asked. I looked up towards Buhara and saw that his face was twisted in discomfort.

 _That must have been his stomach..._ I felt a drop of sweat fall down my cheek.

Menchi turned her head up towards Buhara with a smirk, "You must be hungry."

"I'm starving..."

"There you have it." Menchi said standing up, "Phase Two will involve..." she paused. She then pointed to us, "... cooking!"

"C-Cooking?" applicant 294 stuttered out.

"Wait! Cooking? We're here to take the Hunter Exam!" the fat guy with bleached hair said angrily.

"That's quite right." She replied, "Your challenge for the Second Phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate."

"Why do we have to cook!?" someone asked.

"That's because we are... Gourmet Hunters," she said with pride. _They have Gourmet Hunters!? From what I know about Hunters so far, they go around hunting down dangerous stuff or risk their lives finding stuff. So no matter how odd the title is, if it has the word 'Hunter' in it, it's super dangerous, but at the same time... amazing._

"Huh?" the fatso with bleached hair said before bursting out into laughter along with everyone else.

"Man, what a letdown."

"They're Gourmet Hunters..."

Everyone continued to laugh. The only people not laughing were: Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Hisoka, Pin Head, and myself.

_What's so funny?_

I looked to the Scandalous Chef and saw her with her arms crossed in anger.

The laughter soon died down and the guy with bleached hair began to speak, "So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?"

Menchi gave him a peeved look before closing her eyes, "Buhara."

Buhara got up from his sitting position and stepped forward, each step making the earth rumble, "The required ingredient is pork."

"Pork? As in pig meat?" one of the applicants asked.

"You are free to use meat from any species of Biska Forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicious." he said giving a layout of the rules.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking. Got it?" Menchi said with her arms still crossed in anger, "When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end."

"We get it. We get it. Let's just start." Bleach said in a bored tone of voice.

"Then, the exam's Second Phase," he said before hitting his giant stomach like a gong, "begins now!"

Every single one of the applicants turned and bolted for the exit while I on the hand bolted for the cooking area. I had to check it out before I exploded in giddiness.

I ran my hand along the counter tops and looked at the knives. They were beautiful. I checked the cabinets that were under the counter tops and found a bunch of spices and utensils. The kitchen was fully stocked. I faintly recall Menchi and Buhara talking before they finally noticed me looking around the kitchen.

I looked up when I felt their eyes on me, "Um... hi." I said with a small wave.

"Nee-san, if you don't hurry up we will leave you behind!" Gon shouted from the gate.

"Coming!" I shouted back. I turned to the examiners and gave them a small wave goodbye and ran after Gon.

 _I feel so embarrassed now!_ I thought with cheeks the same color of my hair.

* * *

Once I caught up with the rest of them, we began our search for the pigs.

"Catch a pig and cook it. This is way easier than the First Exam." Leorio stated. He had put his white button up shirt back on and had placed his jacket in his briefcase.

"I hope it will be that simple..." Kurapika commented.

As soon as Kurapika finished speaking, Gon jumped down and slide down a hill. Killua took notice of this and slid down after Gon, laughing the whole way down, that is until Gon stopped. He let out a grunt when he hit Gon's back. And another when Leorio hit his back. And another when Kurapika and I hit his back.

When I bumped into Kurapika, my legs went around his sides causing my chest to hit his back full on. Keep in mind that I am wearing a cloak which hides how big my breasts are (a C cup). I took note of the fact that his ears were bright red when this happened.

"Hehe... s-sorry Kurapika," I said with a nervous chuckle my ears also red.

"What was that about, Gon!?" Killua yelled at Gon.

"Found them." he simply said.

"Huh?" Killua was taken aback by this, not understanding.

"Pigs." Leorio clarified for him.

I turned to my right and saw a bunch of giant pigs with huge snouts... chewing on bones. We stared wide eyed at this.

"Um... they're chewing on bones," Leorio noted.

"Don't tell me... they're carnivores?" Kurapika questioned in fear.

"They better not be," I stated.

The giant pig snapped the bone and let out a monstrous squeal that sounded more like a roar.

As soon as they started charging, we bolted out of there, with the pigs on our tales. When we found the other applicants, they stared at the pigs with horror and ran away.

Left and right, the pigs charged at applicants and launched them into the air.

"These pigs are crazy!" Leorio exclaimed.

"Crazy!? You call this crazy!? You haven't seen crazy until you've seen my atrocious dancing skills!" I yelled at him trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't think now is the time to be making wisecracks Nee-san!" Killua informed me.

"There's always time to make wise cracks Skater Boy!" I retorted.

"Grr! I thought you were done calling me Skater Boy!" he fumed.

"Who said I was done?" I asked.

"Just stop calling me that!"

"Never!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter!
> 
> Thanks again. See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	11. Here's a Tip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!

We tried many ways to kill the giant pigs. Bleach tried throwing a huge boulder at its snout. That was a bust. Ninja Guy tried throwing his throwing stars at its snout. That didn't work either. Gon tried hitting the snout with his fishing rod head on. Gon didn't even make a dent and was launched back by the pig.

He landed his feet thankfully and was able to jump out of the way when the pig charged at him again. Instead of hitting Gon, the pig hit the apple tree behind Gon dead center, causing a jolt to go through the pig.

The pig turned to Gon, prepared to charge at him again, but an apple stopped it in its tracks. A bunch of apples fell on its head after the first came down with a resounding thud on its noggin. The pig let out a pained cry, it's snout wiggling in response.

I hummed in thought. _Hmm... maybe the reason it has a large snout is to protect its weak forehead. Evolution is a strange thing sometimes..._

Gon must have been thinking along the same lines since he jumped up and turned mid flight so he could land a clean hit on its forehead. The pig let out a loud cry of pain standing on its hind legs before falling on it's back dead, causing the earth to shake slightly.

"Oh, could their foreheads be their weak points?" Killua asked with a smile. In the background, I could see Leorio running from a pig that was charging after him.

"So, the pigs evolved large, strong noses in order to protect their soft foreheads," Kurapika concluded. As soon as he said this, every single one of the applicants smiled, forming up ways to kill one of the pigs with a sure-fire technique.

Killua rammed into the pig's forehead with his skateboard. Kurapika with his wooden sword. Bleach with an elbow strike. The ninja just threw his stars. Me, I did it with less finesse. I jump up and swung my heel down onto its forehead. It fell with a resounding thud.

The forest was filled with the screams of dying pigs.

* * *

Once we were back at the cooking stations and I plopped my pig on the ground and proceeded to wash my hands.

"* This... is gonna suck," I said rolling up my sleeves. I grabbed one of the bigger kitchen knives and slashed open the belly of the pig. I then proceeded to gut the pig.

**(AN: I'm going to skip the details of the gutting and getting to the cooking.)**

"That... was disgusting." I complained as I squirmed at the memory of the disgusting bloody guts. I washed my hands of the remaining blood and guts.

I looked around and saw that mostly everyone was grilling the whole pig.

_That's gonna be gross!_

"There's no helping them..." I said with a sigh, "No matter. I'll just have to pass this exam all by my lonesome."

And with that, I got cooking. I took one of the knives and cut twenty thick strips of meat off of the pig. Earlier when I was looking around the station, I had found some golden potatoes, some string, sake, and rosemary.

In an anime called _Food Wars_ , the main character made a dish out of only these ingredients. It was called 'Gotcha Roast'. After watching that episode, I convinced my mom to help me make this dish and we ended up having an amazing meal that didn't too long to cook.

I took out the golden potatoes and prepared them like he did in the show, by peeling, dicing, and wrapping all of it in bacon. I wrapped it in a string and put rosemary between the string and the bacon so that it wouldn't fall off while it was cooking. Once I put in a pan, I poured red wine on top of it to bring out the flavors.

As soon as I put it in the oven, I went to see how Gon and Killua were doing.

"Hey guys, how are yall doing?" I asked them.

They both turned to me with smiles. Gon answered me first, "We're doing great Nee-san! Although... were having a little trouble cooking..." he admitted.

"Well, you're both royally screwed," I said with a smirk.

"Oi! Aren't you supposed to helping us!" Killua exclaimed.

"Hey, I'll give you some tips, but I'm not going to cook it for you," I said with a smile.

"Hm..." I heard Gon hum in thought.

"Here's a tip," I motioned them to come closer so I could whisper in their ears, "Be original."

They blinked before looking to each other and back to me.

Killua gave me a blank look, "That's not much of a hint."

"You'll figure it out eventually. Good luck on the exam my little Outotos." I said with a wave.

I took my dish out of the oven and was greeted with the aroma of awesomeness.

"I can't wait to try this thing," I said to myself.

I took out seven plates and forks and one of the smaller knives. I used the smaller knife to cut seven slices for each plate.

I took two of the seven plates up to the examiners. So far, I would be the fifth contestant to go up for judging. Bleach being the first.

I placed the two dishes in front of them, "Hi, I'm ready for evaluation." the two examiners continued to stare at my dish, "Um... hello?"

Menchi was the first to respond. She shook her head as if to shake herself back into reality, "Um, yeah sure." they both picked up their forks and took a bite, "It's a not five-star dish, but it's good. You pass." she said while she raised her stick with the red 'O' facing me. When I looked at Buhara, I saw him gobbling up his dish. He took a couple seconds to raise his stick with a red 'O' facing me as well before he went back to eating.

I smiled at this, "Thank you!" I exclaimed with a bow. I ran down the stairs passing other applicants as I went and went back to my station to eat my dish myself.

_I hope Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio pass this part of the exam as well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter.
> 
> * "This... is gonna suck." = this is a reference to the movie Simply Irresistible. It is a lovely romance that my mom and I watch every now and again. It stars Sarah Geller who also stars in the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I recommend that you check them out.
> 
> * The dish that Mai makes is a reference to the anime Food Wars. It's an okay show (in my opinion) that has a lot of ecchi. If your into that stuff, have at it.
> 
> I'm not very proud of this chapter. I plan on going back later and updating it, but for now, this will have to do.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again. See you next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	12. An Indirect Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!
> 
> PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM TO LEARN ABOUT THE POLL ON MY FF.NET PROFILE.

Once I was back to my station, I served myself a slice of my 'Gotcha Roast' and went over to Kurapika's station to chill.

"Oi, Pretty Boy, how's it going with the cooking?" I asked him as I hoped up onto the countertop to sit. Our stations were side by side so there wasn't much distance to cross.

He looked away from his overcooked pig and gave me 'Are you serious?' look, "Define cooking."

I gave him a smirk before clearing my throat, "Ahem, * the practice or skill of preparing food by combining, mixing, and heating ingredients. That a good enough definition for you?" I asked taking a bite of my roast.

He gave me a small glare before returning my smirk, "Good enough. What's that?" he asked noticing my dish.

"It's called 'Gotcha Roast'. It's the dish I prepared for the exam. It's actually quite good. You wanna bite?" I asked holding out my fork with a small portion of the roast on it.

"N-No it's alright," he said a little flustered with a tint of pink on his cheeks. _What's his damage?_

"Oh come on, it's good.~" I said putting the fork closer to his mouth.

"B-But-" he started to say, but I interrupted him.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Eat. The. Roast." I said more firmly. He narrowed his eyes at me for a second before letting out a sigh opening his mouth so I could put the fork in his mouth. I smiled in triumph as I put the fork in his mouth, "Well, what do you think?~" I asked.

"It's good." I simply stated.

"Really! The last time I made this, my friend Flora thought it was rubbish." I said excitedly.

"Your friend's taste buds are damaged if she called that rubbish." he stated.

"Hmm... you're probably right. She also hated my mom's cheeseburgers when she came over for dinner once and nobody hates my mom's cheeseburgers." I said looking back on that day.

"Told you her taste buds were damaged." he stated matter of factly while I nodded my head agreeing with him.

A couple yards away, I noticed Gon making his way towards us in an apron which made him all the more adorable, "Hey, Kurapika. Nee-san." he greeted as he grew closer, "What are you guys talking about?" he asked curiously when he made it all the way towards us.

"We were talking about how I used cute little boys in my dish to give it that savory flavor," I said to Gon trying to keep a straight face when his face turned from it's usual innocent look to a more horrified expression. Kurapika and I looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

Gon just looked between the two of us as if we had just lost our bloody minds, "W-What's so funny?!" he questioned frantically.

I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, "Gon, I was joking. I didn't use any cute little boys. If I did, you and Killua would be in the examiners', Kurapika's, and my stomach since the only cute little boys around are you two." I said trying to calm him which luckily it did.

"... are you sure?" he hesitantly asked.

"I'm positive," I said chuckling at the joke I made and how innocent Gon was that he didn't understand it. Unfortunately for Kurapika, he did understand it and was sporting a dark pink blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, before I forget," I put my plate down and hopped down from the counter to go to my workstation where I left the other plates held the dish as well. Once I retrieved two servings of the dish, I returned to where Gon was standing, "Here." I said handing Gon the two plates of the roast before hopping back onto the counter, "This is for both you and Killua. I made sure to cut everyone a slice." I said with a smile as he took them from my hands.

"Then what was the point of force feeding me with your fork?!" Kurapika exclaimed all flustered while sporting a beet red face.

"I forgot." I simply stated as I picked my roast back up and continued to eat it.

"You forgot?!"

"Forgot what?" Leorio inquired as he walked over with a hand in his pocket.

"She forgot that she had already cut up slices of her roast and had proceeded to force feed me with her _own_ fork her _own_ plate!" he exclaimed.

"Oh..." Leorio said in a way that showed he understood what was going on.

I raised a questioning brow at this, "I don't see what the deal is. What's wrong with feeding him with my fork, Four Eyes?"

A tick mark appeared on his forehead as he let out a chuckle, "Ho, ho, ho. Sharing something that has already touched your lips is basically an indirect kiss." he said with a smirk.

At this, my eyes widened like a deer in the headlights and my fork dropped from my now limp hand, "Eh?..." after a few more seconds of staring, my mind finally registered what he had said, "EH!" I cried out in embarrassment. My face turned as red as that one time I had * Roka alcohol. I had only had one glass, but apparently, that was enough. Even though there was no alcohol involved in this situation, my head felt as though there had been. With only one thought in my fuzzy head, I stuttered out, "K-K-K-K-K-KISS?!" I think I had let out a pathetic whimper at the time, but my head was so dizzy I couldn't think straight.

It was around that time that my body lost all capabilities of holding my body weight and I feel from my position on the counter along with the plate of Gotcha Roast that was in my hand.

"Mai!" a panicked voice cried out. I couldn't tell who said it since I could neither see nor hear straight.

I think someone put something under my head, but I couldn't be sure. I recall there being a lot of screaming and throwing of plates and table wear. Was that a chuckle?... A large crashing sound followed by screaming and yelling. Two large crashing impacts. The second one louder than the first. I couldn't make out anything anyone was saying since I was completely out of it. I remember being picked up and eventually put on something soft and plushy in a dark room.

Someone better explain what happened while I was comatose or someone's gonna have to answer to my two little friends. Fist One and Fist Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter.
> 
> I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been having trouble putting this chapter into words. I also had swim team and camp this summer. I was also lazy... Anyways, thank you for your support!
> 
> * The actual definition off of Google
> 
> * Roka alcohol - from Snow White with the Red Hair
> 
> The Poll:
> 
> The next chapter will be done in another character's POV since our lovely heroine was comatose throughout some of the action and guess what! You guys get to decide who's POV you want to read! Below are your choices.
> 
> Your Choices:
> 
> Kurapika (on the romantic side)
> 
> Gon (on the naïve/childish understanding side)
> 
> Killua (on the mischievous little brother side)
> 
> Sora (outsider's point of view)
> 
> The poll will be posted on my profile for as long as it needs to be. Just go to this web address to get there directly: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6540620/Aqua-Lilly
> 
> Thanks again! See ya next time!~
> 
> Edited: October 10, 2016


	13. Children are Allowed to be Selfish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!
> 
> RESULTS FROM THE POLL: THIS NEXT CHAPTER SHALL BE DONE IN KILLUA'S POV.
> 
> I WILL ALSO BE DOING THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR THIS CHAPTER. INSTEAD OF MY STANDARD FIRST PERSON SHTICK, I'LL BE DOING IT IN THIRD PERSON. I'VE DECIDED TO DO ALL OTHER POVS IN THIS MANNER.
> 
> HAPPY HALLOWEEN! MAKE SURE TO GET LOTS OF CANDY WHILE YOUR OUT THERE AND WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE BUBBLEGUM MAN AND PINHEAD!

Killua had been working at his workstation when a shrill cry rang out from one of the stations. Everyone had stopped what they were doing upon hearing it including Killua. He looked over towards where Kurapika's station was and saw a flustered redhead sitting on the counter.

He raised an eyebrow at this. _What has Weirdo gotten into now?..._

"K-K-K-K-K-KISS?!" she shrieked, the sound of a whimper following.

_Oh, that explains a lot... and was that a **whimper**?! She sure knows how to be pathetic._

Just as he was about to turn back around to continue roasting his pig, he came to an immediate halt as watched Mai's body suddenly go limp and fall to the ground.

" _Mai!_ " he along with Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio cried out.

Before he knew it, he was running towards Kurapika's workstation to check on Mai. By the time he got there Leorio had taken Kurapika's bag and placed it under her head, Gon was kneeling next to Mai's unconscious form holding what looking like two plates of the roast she made, and Kurapika was still standing by the counter except he was now clutching the edge of it in a vice grip.

"Is she okay?" Killua asked his words laced with worry, as he came up behind Gon.

"She'll be alright. She didn't suffer a concussion or anything, somehow..." Leorio diagnosed saying the last part to himself, "but she will have a massive bruise when she wakes up."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the three of them.

"That's good to hear. I'm gonna head beck to my station now. Let me know if something happens." Killua said with an air of indifference as he started walking back to his station, but in truth, he was worried about her. In his eyes, she was like the caring mother and older sibling he never had. All his family saw in him was the next heir of the Zoldyck family which he wanted no part of.

"Oh, Killua!" Gon called out as if only just remembering something important. Killua halted in his steps and turned towards Gon.

"Hm?"

Gon had gotten up and was now walking towards him. When he had reached Killua, he held one of the plates that held the roast, "Mai had dished out some of her cooking before she passed out and wanted us to have some."

He wordlessly took the dish that was handed to him and took a bite, "Sugoi, that weirdo made this?!" he exclaimed. The dish itself he knew wasn't first rate food, but even this outshined all the meals he ever had back 'home'. It tasted like what he expected home cooking to taste like. That alone made it the best meal he had ever had. Well... it still didn't beat chocolate, but knowing Mai, she could probably make chocolate as well. Before long, the dish was gobbled up and Killua had to restrain himself from licking the plate clean.

"Is it really that good?" Gon questioned. Gon picked up the fork that was on the plate and tried a bite of the roast. His widened as soon as the roast touched his tongue, "Sugoi, this is awesome! Who knew Mai could cook."

"I know right."

"It's on par with Aunt Mito's cooking!" before long, Gon had also gobbled up the dish and he too had to restrain himself from licking his plate.

"You heading back to your station?" Killua asked.

"Nah, I'm gonna hang out with Kurapika and Leorio a little while longer." he stated, "I'll see ya in a bit." he said as he turned to head back to the other two.

"See ya," Killua said as he left to go to his station. Once there, he stood in front of the pig he hunted, "Now what am I supposed to do with this?..." he wondered allowed as he felt a drop of sweat fall down his cheek. He let out a groan, "Where's Mai when you do need her?!" he whined.

* * *

The next time Killua looks over at Kurapika's station, he sees that Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon are all watching as that Gourmet Hunter chews off someone else's ear because of what they did wrong with their dish.

Killua had already figured that you had to do something other than just roast the pig due to Mai's 'helpful' advice. He had a feeling that you had to make something that as at least half decent to pass and knowing that he had zero cooking skills, he gave up on trying to figure something out and had resolved to watch everyone else loose.

"Hey! Can't anyone out there besides that red head satisfy me?" Menchi challenged as she waved around her judging stick.

Not long after, Leorio went up to the two Hunters and presented his whole-roasted pig with a flag on top, "How do you like my cooking?"

 _Where the heck did he get that flag?_ Killua sweat dropped.

"Is this supposed to be a kiddy meal?!" Menchi exclaimed as she threw the dish into the air, though instead of hitting the ground, it was caught by Buhara which he then proceeded to eat.

Not long after that, Gon went up to the two Hunters and presented his whole-roasted pig that had pink on white hibiscus flowers adorned on its head in a flower crown and all around the edges of the plate. It also had a pink ribbon tied in bows adorning its roasted ears and curly tail, "I'm next!"

_Does he seriously think that if makes the pig look pretty that she'll pass him?_

"It's basically the same thing!" she exclaimed as she swept the dish off the table only to caught by Buhara which he then proceeded to eat.

When Gon came bak to his station which was right next to Killua's, he was greeted by a bonk on the head, "You baka! Did you seriously think that would work?!" he grilled.

He diverted his attention from Gon, who was nursing the lump on his head, to Kurapika who was walking up to the chopping block to present his dish to the examiners. He had layered slices of pork with lettuce, pineapple, and cherry tomatoes. There were no added decorations like the other two had done, "I am next! Please judge my creation." He said boldly.

_Well... it looks half decent, but does it taste half decent?_

"Huh? Finally, something that also resembles an actual dish..." she stated as she twirled the judging stick in her hand. For the second time today, she picked up her fork and took a bite of someone's dish and decided their fate. Not long after, we received our verdict, "Yuck!" she cried out, throwing the dish into the air, but for it to, once again, be caught by Buhara who, once again, caught the dish and proceeded to eat it.

"Huh?" he voiced on utter confusion not understanding why he didn't pass.

"Appearance is important, but only if it also tastes good. You're no better than #403!" she pointed out as she showed him the 'X' side of her judging stick. As soon as the last word left her mouth, Kurapika's hair went in different directions at the fact that he was compared to '#403' aka Leorio.

_Now that's an insult! I'll have to use that one on him one day._

"I feel bad for Kurapika," Gon stated out of the blue as he picks a ladle and inspects it.

"Hm, how so?" Killua inquired curiously as to why he would feel sorry for the blonde.

"He wanted to impress Mai and be able to continue the Hunter Exam with her." he stated in a matter of fact tone, not lifting his gaze from the ladle, "I think he's fallen in love with her." he said lifting his gaze from the ladle and looking towards Killua.

Killua's eyes filled with mirth as a smirk found its way upon his face, "Huh? You don't say.~" in truth, Killua had noticed the moment Kurapika exited the tunnel in the first phase of the exam. It was obvious that Kurapika fell in love with her the moment he set his eyes on her.

"Mmhm! If we had all continued through the exam, I was hoping that we would be able to hook them up sooner or later, but seeing as we've pretty much failed we can't do anything to help." Gon sheepishly said as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"We could always have them exchange numbers and have them keep in touch." he remarked as he fiddled with the handle of the metal rod used to roast the pig.

 _Wonder what would happen if I killed someone using this..._ he thought offhandedly.

Before Gon could add on to their plan of playing 'matchmaker', he was interrupted by the Gourmet Hunter, Menchi, as she said standing up, "Therefore, only one person passes. We're finished here!"

As soon as the words left her lips, chaos broke loose.

"It's over?"

"What the hell?"

"Only one person passed?"

"Are you serious?"

"Does she really mean it?"

"The exam is over?"

"This isn't funny!"

At the sound of something being smashed to pieces, Killua turned to his left to see that the fat guy sporting two-toned hair and the #255 smashing his station into the ground.

"I won't accept it..." he said enraged, "I absolutely refuse to accept this!"

"In the end, you've still failed," Menchi said with her hands on her hips, eyes closed.

"Stop screwing around!" he exclaimed in anger, "You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to-"

"I said to prepare the pork in a manner we both found delicious..." she interrupted him, opening her eyes to peer down at him, "None of you made anything remotely delicious. All but one of you did almost the same thing. There was no effort made... Just when I thought someone other than the redhead actually tried, they only changed the appearance." at this, Killua looked to Kurapika and saw that he had his head bowed and eyes closed in shame, "Only one of you attempted to emphasize the flavor. I'm positive that the rest of you didn't take cooking seriously!" she berated.

"Pork dishes are all the same..." #294, the bald ninja, had the gall to say.

Seconds after he stated those words, Menchi had him by hs red scarf and was up in his face, "Just say that once more. Any more crap from you, I'll shove my arm up your ass and knock your teeth out!" she shouted in his face. When Killua looked at her partner, BUhara, he could tell that he wasn't all too pleased with her actions, "Don't mess with me! I don't want any lip from a bunch of amateurs who can't even roast a pig! Hey! What did you just say?" by now Menchi was shaking the terrified ninja, who was sweating bullets now, by his scarf, "Why don't you repeat it to my face?!" she finally let the poor guy go and let him crawl away in fear, "In other words, you people don't have the guts to try something new." she criticized as she plopped back down on her couch, arms draped behind it with only her hands being shown and with a flourish, she crossed her right leg over her left with her eyes closed in irritation.

"Shut up!" #255 pointed in indignation, "I'm not trying to become a cook or a gourmet... I want to be a Hunter!" he shouted in outrage, some of the examinees joining in his cry of outrage, "My goal is to become a Black List Hunter. I refuse to let a mere Gourmet Hunter decide my fate!"

"Too bad you got stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an examiner... Better luck next year?" she mocked.

Killua watched as #255's face gradually grew redder, though not as red as Mai's hair mind you, in rage, "Why, you... Don't mock me!" he cried out as he launched himself forward, fist drawn back, preparing to punch her. Only then did Menchie open her eyes.

Before #255 could get close enough to even land punch, he was batted away like a fly by Buhara. The force of the impact caused the applicant to sail through the air hit the red tiled turret of the gate with a resounding thud and then falling to the ground with a thump. The only blood spilled was the blood dripping from his nose.

_Well, that was anticlimactic..._

"Buhara, don't interfere," Menchi said with a frown.

"Well... If I hadn't intervened, you'd have killed him, right?" he asked.

"Probably," she confirmed as she stood up from her spot on the couch, now holding knives.

_She's pretty skilled. I almost missed her taking out those knives._

"Let me clarify this..." she said as she began her descent down the stone steps of the estate, the click of her heels resounding throughout the yard of the estate, "We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients." now at the bottom of the steps, she threw the two knives she held in each hand and proceeded to nonchalantly spin them, "Every Hunter knows some form of martial art. You lack focus and the willingness to experiment. That alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!" she ended with a flourish as she caught all four of the knives in her right hand and pointed them at us.

The entire yard was dead silent as they reflected on what she just said.

Killua let out a sigh at this and closed his eyes. _She kind of does have a point._

The dreary silence didn't last long as a loud voice rang throughout the yard, "That said," at the sound of the voice, everyone, including the examiners, looked to the skies to see an airship coming into view over the estate, "it would be excessive to fail all but one applicant."

Now that the airship was in full view, Killua was able to see the Hunters Association symbol on the side of a blue airship. The front of the airship was painted black and showed a large row of pearly white shark teeth.

"That's the symbol of the Hunters Association!" one of the examinees exclaimed, "Is it someone from the Selection Committee?" as soon as they said this, someone in the airship jumped out and free fell to the ground, causing a massive dust cloud and debris to go everywhere as they created a crater on the ground. Everyone was left spluttering coughing as the dust entering their mouth and lungs.

As Killua was coughing to clear his lungs, he thought of how Mai was unconscious. His eyes widened at this. _Dangit! Mai isn't able to dodge any of the debris or cover her mouth and nose to keep the dust out her lungs._ He whipped his head towards Kurapika's station and saw that Kurpika had draped a spare apron over her head and was shielding her from the debris with his body. _He his **so**_ _in love with her._ He thought as a bead of sweat fell down my forehead.

The sound of clacking wood drew Killua's attention away from the two love birds and towards the dissipating dust cloud. A figure could be seen calmly walking towards the examiners and stopped not too far away from them.

The figure was a goofy looking old geezer. He had a bald head sans the white hair that was held in a high ponytail on the top of his head and the white mustache and beard that was gray at the end to show that it had been a while since the last time he had his beard trimmed. The old man had two piercings in each of his abnormally long earlobes. He wore a traditional man's kimono that had overly long sleeves the collar and the edge of the sleeves the color blue while the rest of the kimono was white. He also wore a pair of Geta that only had one * ha.

 _How the heck is he wearing those?!_ Killua thought in amazement but didn't didn't let it get to him. Even though this person was old, he knew that he was extremely powerful. What normal old geezer be able to survive free falling from such a height?! What normal person would survive that?!

"Wh-Who's that geezer?" one of the examinees asked.

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee." Menchi stated as she stepped forward, "He's in charge of the Hunter Exam... Chairman Netero."

"Well, I worked behind the scenes. I only take action when there's an issue, like now." the Chairman stated calmly, "So, Menchi-kun..."

"Yes, sir."

"You failed all but one of the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?" the Chairman inquired while briefly glancing down at her breasts which 'on display'. Killua who caught this cringed at the action.

Killua who caught this cringed at the action. _Yes, her boobs are practically on display but have the decency to not look. Perverted old geezer..._

"No, sir... I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters. And I made the exam harder than necessary." she confessed.

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable."

"Yes, sir. When cooking is involved, I lose control. I'm unqualified to be an examiner." she said, ashamed of her actions, "I will resign as examiner, so please redo the Second Phase!"

"But it would be difficult to find another examiner on such short notice." the Perverted Old Geezer pointed out.

"I apologize..." she replied, bowing slightly towards the man.

"Very well. How about this? I'd like you to continue serving as an examiner." he supplied as he held up his hand, pointer finger extended, "But you must also participate in the new test you propose." he said laying down the conditions as he brought down his hand. Menchi gasped at this, not expecting this turn of events, "Is that acceptable? I'm certain that will help the applicants to accept the results."

"That's true... Then the new challenge will be boiled eggs!" she said with a smile.

"Boiled eggs?" one of the applicants questioned.

"Chairman, can you take us to Mt. Split-in-Half in your airship?" Menchi asked, pointing towards said airship.

"Mt. Split-in-Half?" the Chairman questioned, "I see what you're doing. Certainly, I can."

* * *

As everyone was waiting for the airship to land; Gon, Killua, and Leorio gathered at Kurapika's station to discuss on what they were going to do with Mai since she was still out cold.

"Well, we can't carry her around for the duration of the Second Phase..." stated Leorio.

"I agree. We don't know what the retake of the Second Phase will hold and she could get injured in the process." Kurapika said as he leaned against the counter of his station.

"Hm... maybe we should ask Netero-san?" Gon inquired placing a finger to his chin in thought.

"Maybe... worth a shot," Killua stated with a shrug of his shoulders not really caring what they did as long as they were able to keep her out of harm's way.

Kurapika got up from his leaning position and walked towards Mai and picked her up along with his messenger bag which he put over his shoulder, "Like you said Killua, it's worth a shot.

The group of four headed over towards Perverted Old Geezer who was on the phone with who knows, Killua not caring in the slightest who it was.

Upon seeing the group approach, Netero quickly ended his conversation and gave us his full attention, "Is there something the four of you need?"

"Un, is there a place where Nee-san can rest? She fell unconscious during the Second Phase." Gon asked.

"Hm..." he said as he caressed his beard in thought, "We do have an infirmary she could rest in, but she would be missing the Second Phase retake if she does."

Gon shook his head at this and beamed up at the old man, "She already passed the Second Phase."

Netero's eyes widened at this, his eyes then shifting to look at the unconscious redhead in Kurapika's arms, "Hm..." he said, once again, caressing his beard in thought, "Well, when the airship lands, I'll have my secretary lead you to the infirmary."

"Okay, thanks!" Gon thanked with a beaming smile.

_Is he ever not smiling?..._

Not long after that, the airship landed and Kurapika was escorted to the infirmary immediately upon boarding said airship by something that Killua could only guess was a lima bean.

When Kurapika came back from the infirmary, he was bombarded with questions by both Gon and Leorio. Killua had decided to keep his questions to himself since he didn't want to look ridiculous asking questions about that weirdo's health (even though he really wanted to).

"So, is she being taken care of or what?" Leorio questioned the blonde.

"There is a nurse in the infirmary taking care of her as we speak. She is conducting a checkup in order to determine if there is anything else wrong with her besides a concussion," he said calmly, seemingly far less tense than before.

"Oh, that's good! What did the infirmary look like?" Gon inquired curiously.

 _Seriously? Of all the questions you could have asked, you asked what the infirmary looked like?_ Killua thought as he narrowed his eyes at the sheer stupidity of the question.

Kurapika, having also being taken aback by the question, answered after a pause of silence, "Well, it clean and the beds are comfy... there didn't seem to be anything that stuck out to me..."

Before Gon could ask another stupid question, we could hear the secretary over the intercom saying that we would be landing soon.

Killua let out a sigh. _At least that stopped Gon from asking any more stupid questions, but for how long..._

* * *

Killua and the rest of the contestants looked over the edge of the foggy canyon.

"Now, everyone... look down there." she said with her hands on her hips as the fog started to clear a bit. As the fog cleared, Killua could make out a grid-like system of webbing along the canyon's chasm.

"Wh-What us that?" a contestant asked.

"A Spider Eagle's web." she stated.

"They build webs down there?" Gon asked in awe to Killua's right.

 _It is pretty impressive..._ Killua thought.

Not long after, a strong gust of wind came out of the chasm. While everyone else was unaffected or just squinted against the harsh wind, #255 leaped back from the chasm in fright.

_Pathetic._

"Look below the web." she said, hands still firmly planted on her hips.

Gon's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of a cluster of eggs in the fog, "Those are..."

"Those are Spider Eagle eggs." she calmly stated.

"Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines, to protect their eggs from predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain. The eggs are also known as dream eggs." the old man supplied from the back of the group.

"W-Wait a minute... You don't mean we..." #255 rambled in panic towards the Chairman.

"I sure do." the Gourmet Hunter said sassily.

"What?" the applicant gasped.

Killua watched as the Hunter calmly walked towards the edge of the chasm and leapt into it head first, arms out horizontally from her body. She free fell into the canyon until she grabbed one of the strings of the web in the second layering of the grid of webbing. She swung for a second before she lost her momentum and was left hanging on the web. Everyone, minus Gon and Killua, was left in anxious awe at her amazing feat.

As she continued to hang there, people began to grow worried. Leorio voiced his concerns first, "Even if she can grab some eggs, how will she climb back up?" he inquired behind Gon and Killua with Kurapika by his side, who had a hand on his knee leaning forward to see into the chasm anxiously.

No sooner had Leorio said this, Killua felt a slight draft of wind exit the canyon and move the tips of his snow white hair. Killua knew as soon as he felt the wind brush his hair against his skin that it was the right time to jump and so the Hunter did. She let go of the web and was once again free falling into the chasm with her arms spread out at her sides. As she passed one of the clusters of eggs, she grabbed hold of one the pearly white eggs and continued to free fall down into the chasm.

"Hey... She jumped down!" Leorio cried out slapping his hand to his forehead, "Is she trying to kill herself?"

"No, she's not," Kurapika stated in his usual calm voice.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a strong gust came put of the canyon along with a smirking Hunter who was holding one of the eggs.

As she hovered in the air, Gon and Killua gasped in excitement, eyes wide in awe.

"That looks fun..." Killua said as he stared in child-like wonder at the Gourmet Hunter.

Behind them, the old man began to explain something about the ravine's updrafts, but Killua wasn't paying any attention in the slightest as he watched the Hunter made her landing with elegance with fascination.

"There. Now I just need to boil the egg." she said holding up the egg for everyone to see.

"Y-You must be joking." applicant #255, who was now standing (Killua not noticing that he had gotten up (not that he cared)), argued, "No reasonable person would jump down there..."

 _Good thing I'm not reasonable!_ Killua thought with a smirk.

"I've been waiting for this!" Gon exclaimed as he put down his pack and went to jump into the ravine.

 _You took the words right out of my mouth!_ And with that, Killua jumped after Gon with his hands in his pockets. No sooner had Killua jumped after Gon did Leorio and Kurapika follow after in turn.

By the time they had their hand around one of the sticky webs, almost everyone that had been at the edge of the canyon was hanging onto the sticky webbing.

 _I guess some people chickened out... Oh well, sucks for them!_ Killua thought nonchalantly.

After a couple minutes of hanging onto the web, one of the applicants let out a chuckle and let go of the web, "Catch you later."

 _What an idiot..._ Killua thought as he stared at the shrinking form of the doomed applicant as he disappeared into the ominous white fog.

"Let's go!" Leorio declared.

"Not yet." Gon commanded in a firm tone.

"Why not?"

"There's no wind." Killua said in an unconcerned tone, being all too familiar with death, "There isn't always an updraft." it wasn't long after he had said this that the screams of the applicant could be heard by everybody.

"When's the next one?" Leorio asked.

"Wait." Gon once again command.

Killua turned to look at Gon who was to his left in wonder. So far, Gon had shown that, even though he was a naïve idiot, he was clearly intelligent. He had met and exceeded all of his expectations and he wanted to see if he would once again meet them or leave them in the dust as he exceeded them so for that... he kept his opinion to himself and let Gon take the lead. If he didn't interpret the next updraft, he would take matters into his own hands.

He watched and he waited as Gon continued to sniff the air in fascination. Gon was something else and Killua knew that, but he didn't want to risk his safety by becoming his friend. None of them had survived the wrath of his family, but he had this feeling about Gon. He felt as though that if Gon put his mind to something, nothing would be able to stop him from completing said task. He was willing to take this gamble to become Gon's friend. He was already gambling with Mai's life with the possibility of becoming his older sister and that was by far more dangerous than the prospect of having a friend. He feared for her safety at the idea of his older brother, Illumi, catching wind of her, but he would take that risk. He was a child after all. Children are allowed to be selfish now and then.

As the time outside of Killua's head went on, the weight of all the applicants hanging onto the Spider Eagle nest had taken its toll on the webbing.

"What?' Leorio cried out as the webbing gave a little at the weight on it.

"The web won't hold us all!" Kurapika cried out as well.

Killua turned to Gon once again, "Gon, not yet?" he questioned.

Gon didn't respond as he continued to feel the air.

The web gave way again.

"Damn, I can't wait for an updraft!" an applicant said as he and two other applicants let go of the web and fell to their demise along with one of the clusters of eggs.

The web gave way once again.

"It's gonna snap!" Leorio cried in panic as sweat accumulated on his face.

"Now!" Gon exclaimed as he snapped his eyes open.

Killua let a smile cross his face as he let go of the sticky web.

He along with the rest of the applicants dropped down and free fell towards the cluster of eggs nearest to them and grabbed an egg from the bunch. Well... except for Kurapika... He grabbed _two_ eggs.

Killua smirked at this. _Three guesses to who he plans to give that to and the other two don't count._

After a few seconds of falling down into the foggy chasm, an updraft appeared and shot them up and out of the chasm. The feeling of weightlessness in the air sent adrenaline pumping through his veins. Altogether, it was exhilarating. Killua couldn't wipe the cheek tearing smile off his face.

"GON! KILLUA!" someone shouted from not too far away as his feet touched the ground.

 _That voice... Wait a minute!_ Killua whipped around and break neck speed towards the ramp of the blimp and saw a figure running towards him, their arms opened wide.

If the smile on his face wasn't big far, it grew even larger at the sight of the figure running towards him.

"MAI!" Killua along with Gon, who had landed to the right of him, ran towards the figure at top speed and into her open arms. The force of the hug almost sent the red-haired girl to the ground, but she was giggling none the less at their actions.

"I hope you guys didn't miss me too much, right?" she asked them as her gaze switched between the two beaming children in her arms.

While Gon was shaking his head up and down at the speed of light, Killua just smirked at her, "Who would miss a weirdo like you?"

Her laugh was like the sound of bells, "Apparently you, Skater Boy." she said between giggles.

The smile on Killua's face never left, "Shut up." the words having little meaning as he said them.

_Yeah, it's worth the risk. After all... children are allowed to be selfish._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter!
> 
> Hey, guys! Dang, this chapter was long! Didn't think it would end up 5,000+ words... Guess you could call this an apology gift.
> 
> Good news everyone! I'm now a blue belt in Tae Kwon Doe. Only five more belts till I'm a black belt.
> 
> We start Christmas music in orchestra a day or two after Halloween so yippee! Can't wait to play Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24. Extremely hard, but an amazing piece once you know how to play.
> 
> Next chapter, it will be going back to Mai's POV and will also be in the third person. Please leave a comment in the reviews on what you thought about seeing the story in third person and someone else's POV. If yall liked it, you'll see more of it in the future.
> 
> * Ha - Those wooden blocks that hold up those wooden sandals
> 
> Thanks again for reading this chapter. See ya in the next chapter!~
> 
> Edited: February 10, 2017


	14. So, What Did I Miss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!
> 
> Guess what guys! After having a major writer's block on how to write this story and problems at the Hell Mouth *cough cough* school *cough cough*, I have finally figured it out. For info on what is to come, read the Author's Note at the bottom.
> 
> Also, in the Author's Note, I will be going through a list of the chapters that have been edited and what has been edited. If you have just started reading this story on February 10, 2017; you're fine. Everybody else, go back and skim and/or re-read the chapters.
> 
> Other than that, on with the story!

**Last time on** **_Red is a Pretty Color_ ** **...**

"Now!" Gon exclaimed as he snapped his eyes open.

Killua let a smile cross his face as he let go of the sticky web.

He along with the rest of the applicants dropped down and free fell towards the cluster of eggs nearest to them and grabbed an egg from the bunch. Well... except for Kurapika... He grabbed _two_ eggs.

Killua smirked at this. _Three guesses to who he plans to give that to and the other two don't count._

After a few seconds of falling down into the foggy chasm, an updraft appeared and shot them up and out of the chasm. The feeling of weightlessness in the air sent adrenaline pumping through his veins. Altogether, it was exhilarating. Killua couldn't wipe the cheek tearing smile off his face.

"GON! KILLUA!" someone shouted from not too far away as his feet touched the ground.

 _That voice... Wait a minute!_ Killua whipped around and breakneck speed towards the ramp of the blimp and saw a figure running towards him, their arms opened wide.

If the smile on his face wasn't big far, it grew even larger at the sight of the figure running towards him.

"MAI!" Killua along with Gon, who had landed to the right of him, ran towards the figure at top speed and into her open arms. The force of the hug sent the red-haired girl to the ground, but she was giggling none the less at their actions.

"I hope you guys didn't miss me too much, right?" she asked them as her gaze switched between the two beaming children in her arms.

While Gon was shaking has head up and down at the speed of light, Killua just smirked at her, "Who would miss a weirdo like you?"

Her laugh was like the sound of bells, "Apparently you, Skater Boy." she said between giggles.

The smile on Killua's face never left, "Shut up." the words having little meaning as he said them.

_Yeah, it's worth the risk. After all... children are allowed to be selfish._

* * *

The moment I once again became aware of the world around me, I could feel the harsh rays of the afternoon sun on eyelids and the feel of scratchy sheets against my skin.

With a groan, I opened my eyes, "Where am I?..." I questioned sleepily, "Last thing I remember is..." all of a sudden, all of the events came rushing back to me. With a gasp, I sat bolt upright, my face heating up to unhealthy degrees. Covering my face with my hands in embarrassment, I muttered, "Why did I do that? How will I be able to face Kurapika now! He probably thinks I'm an idiot..."

 _Wait..._ I lifted my face from my hands in thought. _Why do I care about Kurapika's opinion on me so much? Why should it matter if my friends think I'm a fracking * **toaster** of all things?! I mean... yeah, the opinion of my friends' matters and yeah Kurapika is an important friend. It has nothing to do with the fact that he's kinda cute and that when he looks at me, it's like his soul attention is on me. Nor does it have anything to do with the fact that when I ended up smushed against his back on that hill that I thought his back felt lean and muscular and... wait..._

As I had been thinking about Kurapika, I hadn't noticed that I shifted positions 'till I noticed an added weight to my knee. I had drawn up my knee and rested my elbow on it and my hand was positioned in such a way that would enable me to rest my cheek on the palm of my hand.

_Why am I going into my daydreaming position?... no... no! Nononononononono. I can't be! It's impossible! I... I can't be in love! I've only known him for less than a day!_

* * *

_* If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders._

* * *

The words of my late * Grandma Sophie halted my train of thoughts. I had once asked about how she knew she was in love with my grandfather when they had only known each for about a month and she had said this. I think she got it from some romance novel, but... it makes so much sense.

_But be reasonable Mai! You can't just go off getting your hopes up about a guy you've only known for a day. Take things slow Mai. If you still have feelings for him by the end of the Exam (since I've never had a crush on a guy for more than a few days at a time (something is always wrong with the guy: not actually a nice guy, smokes/drinks, loss of interest)), get his number and keep in contact with him. If anything develops from there, figure out what to do from there. For now, see if he returns your feelings or if you still like him at all by the end of the exam._

With a plan of action determined, I decided to get myself out of the scratchy bed and find my stuff. As I removed the covers, I took a chance to look around the room I was in. Three of the walls were made of some sort of shiny yellow metal while the fourth had two large windows that showcased a bright blue sky that was almost cloudless. Around the room, there were other beds and dressers around the room that no doubt had medical supplies in them.

I looked around for my stuff and found it conveniently on a wooden chair next to the bed. My white cloak (that had a little dust on it) was draped over the back of the chair; my dark leather pack was on the seat of the chair; and my loose fitting, dark leather, ankle boots were to the right of it.

 _Hm, that was easy enough._ I thought as I went to put my boots on. After dusting my cloak off and buttoning the silver button that adorned it, I made to exit the room with my pack in hand. The doors were wooden and painted a dark blue with a round window at the top of both. They also had long black painted metal handles that were held to the door with iron attachments. I went to grab the handle but paused as a thought occurred to me.

_Wait a minute... this is an infirmary and last I checked, I didn't have any first-aid_

_supplies. Maaaybe I should stock up on some._

Turning back around, I went to one of the dressers and looked around for any basic first-aid supplies I might need. Once all of it was gathered, I put it all in one of the smaller medical kits and placed it within my bag and made my way to the door and left.

I eventually made my way through the ship and found an open ramp leading to the outside, which from what I've seen through the windows, was rocky canyon that everyone was surrounding as they watched the examiner, Menchi, jump in.

My eyebrows furrowed as I watched her do this, "What is she doing?" I murmured to myself.

By the time I reached the ramp, all the ones that were willing to jump into the canyon were leaping into it.

"Still don't know what yall are doing..." I murmured as I decided to stay at the top of the ramp and wait for something to happen.

And something happened indeed.

All of a sudden, a great gust of air burst from the canyon, carrying the examinees up with it along with the eggs clutched in their hands. Within the mass of applicants, I could make out four distinct figures. Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. All four of them had an egg clutched in their hands although, in Kurapika's case, he was carrying two. Both Gon and Killua had beaming smiles on their faces as they made their way back to solid ground.

I let out a low chuckle. _They probably couldn't wait to jump into the canyon. Not that I can blame them. I want to jump in as well._

I turned my gaze towards all of the applicants that hadn't jumped into the canyon. _I guess they won't be participating in the next part of the exam. Cowards._ I thought with a shake of my head. Whelp! I guess I should make my presence known...

"GON! KILLUA!" I shouted out as I walked down the ramp.

I watched as both of their heads (along with most of the applicants as a matter of fact) snapped in my directions and if the smiles they still had from the adrenaline rush they jus got was big, then this smile was huge, "MAI!" both boys cried out as they sprinted towards me with their eggs clutched in their arms. I ran towards them as well with open arms that they practically launched into upon approach. The force of the impact almost sending me toppling to the ground in a giggling mess at their enthusiasm. I don't know how their eggs survived the impact, but they did.

"I hope you guys didn't miss me too much, right?"I asked them as my gaze switched between the two beaming children in my arms.

While Gon was shaking his head up and down at the speed of light, Killua just smirked at me, "Who would miss a weirdo like you?"

I laughed at this not expecting else from my little outoto, "Apparently you, Skater Boy." I said between giggles.

The smile on Killua's face never fell as he said, "Shut up." the words having little meaning as he said them.

I ignored the blood lust coming from my right and ran my fingers through their hair, "So, what did I miss?" I inquired as I waited for all their adventures and misadventures to unfold before me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about not updating in over *goes to check* two months! School has been Hell and Chemistry has decided to hate me by sounding like pig-latin. No one gets it unless they get it and it's only useful to those who need it, but due to having so much time to daydream in class and think about this story and how I can improve it such as the following:
> 
> \- Editing grammar and plot holes
> 
> \- Adding a love triangle a little bit later in the story
> 
> \- Adding a jealous little outoto when Mai gets more involved with Kurapika ((all thanks to JokerLover123)(also the one to get me back in the writing groove))
> 
> \- Adding some music (My Chemical Romance (It will have relevance to the story)(I've been listening to them non-stop so that may be the reason that this idea even popped into my head in the first place...))
> 
> I hope those of you that have stuck with this story will stay until the end and continue to give me feedback (and if you give cruddy feedback or none at all, step up your game! If you don't give me feedback, how am I supposed to make this story even better?!)
> 
> * If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders = something I found on Google  
> * Grandma Sophie = From Howl's Moving Castle
> 
> Edited: April 2, 2017


	15. Two School Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO!
> 
> I've been listening to this playlist on Spotify that has all the background songs in it. I recommend it to all you die hard fans of HXH! This is what I listen to when I'm between episodes of the show. It's either this or get so caught up in the show that I forget to write (happens 75% of the time...).
> 
> Name: Hunter x Hunter
> 
> Created By: mikelygos
> 
> Number of Songs: 53
> 
> Time: 1 hr 31 min
> 
> There will be a challenge for you readers in the Author's Note below.

"Seriously?! Let me get this straight. All _four_ of you failed the first version of the Second Phase of the exam. Menchi lost a gasket at the fact that no one understood the art of Gourmet Hunters and in retaliation; #255 went to attack in retaliation, but inevitably got swatted away like a fly by Buhara before Menchi could kill him. The chairman of the Hunter Association came to the Second Phase in order to stop Menchi from failing all but one applicant and had her create a new exam on the fly which ended up being the 'Jump Into the Canyon and Get an Egg Challenge'." I reiterated in a putout tone with my arms crossed as I stared Gon and Killua down, "Did I mention the fact that _all four of you failed the Second Phase of the exam the first time through!_ " I shouted at them, "The two of are bright young boys that are capable of just about anything you put your minds to and because of this, I have high expectations of you 'cause I know you can meet them. Yes, I know that the examiner wasn't thinking clearly, but you at least know the basics of cooking right?" I questioned as I looked between the two.

"Um... no?" Killua said, hesitant to answer.

"I can roast things in a campfire..." Gon said in the same hesitant tone.

My felt my left eye twitch at this, "Just so we're clear, you both are going to learn the basics of cooking and how to make a proper meal from scratch, capiche?"

"Capiche..." they both said, avoiding eye contact.

I let out a sigh. _That was exhausting... Well, better steer this conversation into smoother waters._ "So, how fun was it to jump into that canyon?" I asked with a smile.

The both of them seemed to perk up at this, their eyes once again gaining that sparkly look they get when they're excited about something.

"It was awesome!" exclaimed Gon buzzing with so much excitement at the thought of the experience that he was bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Killua looked at Gon with a smirk at how giddy he was being as though he was above that kind of childishness when in reality, he was buzzing with the same excitement as Gon.

I shook my head in amusement as I listened to them recount their adventures during the retake of the Second Phase. As I was listening, my eyes had strayed to my left and saw Kurapika standing over by his own station not too far away with Leorio boiling his egg. Kurapika had decided at that moment to look over his shoulder towards me. I felt my cheeks start to heat up at being caught and looked away.

_So embarrassing!_

I checked out of the corner of my eyes to see if he was still looking at me and quickly diverted my eyes due to him still looking at me.

Apparently, I had completely zoned out of the conversation too caught up in my own little world of embarrassment, but had caught on pretty quickly to my plight and was enjoying every minute of it with that smirk of his.

He let out a chuckle, "Hey Gon," signaling Gon to come closer he whispered in his ear (not that I noticed). What did make me notice their private conversation was Gon's giggling.

"Huh? Why are you two giggling like two school girls who got a peek inside the boys' locker room?" I inquired, curious while at the same time disturbed by the fact that they more than likely scheming something and that scheming had something to do with me.

They both glanced over at me before turning to each other and giggling.

 _I hate these two sometimes..._ As I ran my fingers through my hair in exasperation, I looked to the sky and saw the sun start to turn a beautiful golden yellow and red. _Back home, I never would have been able to watch the sunset like this._

Before long, the eggs were done boiling and were ready to eat.

"This is damned good. Much better than the eggs you buy in a store." Ninja Guy said with his mouth full of food.

_Ugh... gross..._

"I can see why they're called dream eggs." Kurapika commented as well sans the mouth full of food.

Beside Kurapiaka, Leorio and Killua both stood by eating their eggs as well. Both of their faces filled with joy and content at what they were eating.

 _They must be really good then._ I thought with a small smile as I stood there without one.

"Hey, Todo-san." I looked over to my left and saw Gon over by Bleach who I now just noticed had tissues up his nose to keep from bleeding all over himself. _Huh, guess his name is Todo._ "Would you like a bite?" Gon asked the man as held out his somewhat eaten egg.

Todo-san wordlessly took the egg from Gon's outstretched hands and took a bite. He let out a gasp, "It's delicious..." he said in surprise and wonder.

This is when Menchi decided to walk over to the two and speak up, "Now you've experienced the joy of discovering how good something can taste. We're risking our lives for that joy."

Todo-san turned to the scantily dressed woman, "I was completely outclassed this year. I'll be back next year!" he said as he bowed towards the woman in respect.

Gon stood between the two with a smile on his face, proud of what the man had discovered and what he helped the man discover.

I felt someone tap my shoulder, "Huh?" I turned and noticed it was Kurapika.

"Hey, um... I accidentally grabbed an extra egg during the retake and was wondering if you wanted to eat it so that it doesn't go to waste." he offered as he held out the extra dream egg to me with a slight tint of pink on his cheeks.

_Is he blushing? No, he can't be! It might just be from being out in the sun. Shut up Brain! Don't rule anything out. You never know._

"Sure." I replied as I took the egg from him and proceed to peel off the top portion of the shell. I stashed the egg shells in my pocket to dispose of later and took a bite out the egg. As soon as the egg hit my tongue, my tongue exploded with exquisite flavor, "Oh my gosh this is good! Thanks, Kurapika." I said with a beaming smile.

Kurapika gave me a small smile as his cheeks got reder, "Your welcome, Mai."

I felt my cheeks and neck grow hotter as he smiled at. _Well... I guess I'm hopelessly in love with this dork... and my guess is... he on some level feels the same for me..._

* * *

**42 Applicants Remain**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter. Sorry if the chapters short. It just felt like a good place to stop it.
> 
> Okay, a challenge to all you readers! Create a ship name! These are the ones that I have been given so far:
> 
> \- KurapiMai
> 
> \- KuMai
> 
> \- Mapika
> 
> Can't wait to see what you guys think up. Send me your ship names in the reviews or PM me. Either way is good with me. I will pick the ones I like the most and put them in a poll for yall to decide which one is the ship name. Anyways, may the challenge begin!
> 
> Fun fact about me: I hate boiled eggs. I can eat scrambled eggs and fried eggs, but the taste of boiled eggs makes me sick. Weird, right?
> 
> Another fun fact about me: I sprained my ankle last week. Yay me... I had gone to the school play at my high school and was walking out of the auditorium after congratulating her on her performance when my foot slipped off the high heel I was wearing. My occasionally does when I'm walking in these heels, but it usually doesn't hurt that much. Just that slight pain you feel when you over exert your ankle feeling when running. This time, however... when ankle fell off the heel, I over stretched the tendons and sprained it pretty badly. I could tell something was wrong with it. After a week of wearing an ace wrap, we went to the orthopedist and they put me in one of those removable casts which means I can take a shower by myself. We go to the orthopedist again this Thursday. Wish me luck! **crosses fingers and arms*
> 
> * Crosses finger and arms - Parent Trap; means good luck
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading the chapter. See ya next time!~
> 
> Edited: April 3, 2017


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